


Doctor Who + Portal Vol. 3

by EaglestarEC



Series: Doctor Who + Portal [3]
Category: Doctor Who, Portal (Video Game)
Genre: Brain Damage, Broken Bones, Character Death, Domestic, Dreams vs. Reality, Emotional, Experimentation, F/M, Guns, Insanity, Lucid Dreaming, M/M, Master/Pet, Multi, Multiple Personalities, Regeneration, Sexual Content, Snowball Fight, Threesome, Torture, Withdrawal, Year That Never Was
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-09-22 14:31:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 202,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9611585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EaglestarEC/pseuds/EaglestarEC
Summary: Welcome to Volume Three, which is filled with rather a lot of trouble for our three settling Timelords. What is the best way to neutralize the threat GLaDOS imposes?





	1. Caroline

MASTER:

~sighs happily, closing his eyes as he lets his hand slide down to rest by the Doctor’s collarbone~ goodnight then, I suppose. ~his other hand feels downward until he finds the end of the Doctor’s leash, slipping a few fingers through the loop with a small smirk~

DOCTOR:

Goodnight. ~closes his eyes, letting his breathing and heartbeats gradually slow a little but not actually going to sleep~

MASTER:

~relaxes after a moment, eventually falling into a light sleep after dismissing a very faint worry for the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~his thoughts are almost completely blocked now and he waits a moment before he carefully, quietly detaches his leash from his collar to not have to try and get it out of the Master’s hand, looking at the other Timelord for any indication that his sleep’s been disturbed~

MASTER:

~sleeps soundly, if not more deeply as time goes on and he lets his worry slip away, even smiling slightly~

DOCTOR:

~trying his best to be silent, gets out of bed, sliding his feet in his shoes and throwing his undershirt on before stalking over to open the door and leave the room, leaving the door open just a crack. Leaves the house silently, walking up to and greeting the TARDIS before entering her, opening the floor and apologizing before disabling the TARDIS so nothing but the lights work~

~•~

DOCTOR:

~when he fixes the circuitry it seems as if nothing’s changed though the Doctor has blocked even the TARDIS from his thoughts as he sets her to fly to Tav and takes the brakes off before taking off~

TARDIS:

~almost immediately becomes distressed, asking the Doctor what he’s doing and why he won’t let her see his thoughts~

DOCTOR:

~just responds with a sincerely apologetic “I’ll tell you later, I’ll be right back, sorry” as he lands the TARDIS and leaves her, closing her doors behind him to go to Tav and apologize to her for leaving for so long, asking if it’s possible to pinpoint one person’s location~

TAV:

~seems irritable, asking sharply why the Doctor wants to know, part of her anger due to the fact that the Doctor’s TARDIS is so clearly upset~

DOCTOR:

Please? The TARDIS can’t know because I’m afraid GLaDOS is monitoring everything on her, I’m trying to stop it. ~his voice is desperate as he tries to convince Tav to do this for him~

TAV:

~she pauses for a good while, to make the Doctor wait; eventually her front door swings open and she grudgingly complies, while making it well known to the Doctor that she believes her Master would not approve of this~

DOCTOR:

Why do you think he isn’t here? His little attraction to Aperture got to the point where I had to wipe his memory—on his request, of course. GLaDOS recently tried to revive those memories I’ve so carefully protected the Master from; if he remembers, he’ll leave me, our daughter, our freedom, and he won’t be happy with either lifestyle anymore. ~walks in thankfully, walking to the console~ so, can you find Her?

TAV:

~the door closes behind him, and she takes a moment to do the search, telling the Doctor that she won’t be able to pinpoint an exact location from here; they’re too far from earth~

DOCTOR:

~sets the coordinates to be near but not in Eaden in the hopes that Tav can get a better scan, trying to fly her properly after he lifts off, letting it be telepathically clear what he’s doing to Tav~

TAV:

~she lands thoughtfully, being successful now in the scan of Aperture. She asks once again what they’re looking for, exactly~

DOCTOR:

Caroline. Human GLaDOS. She’d be underground in Aperture, most likely in a control room or somewhere She can observe everything from.

TAV:

~takes a few extra moments, and eventually a group of coordinates input themselves into the system, and Tav asks the Doctor to check and see if the coordinates look about right~

DOCTOR:

~looks over the coordinates to make sure they’re somewhere in Aperture without a time change~

ENVIRONMENT:

~indeed they are, current time, underground a couple of miles away from current position~

TAV:

~informs the Doctor that she’s ready when he is~

DOCTOR:

~pulls Tav’s takeoff lever to go into brief flight to the given coordinates, taking a deep breath to focus on what he’s about to do before they land and he has to go up to the doors, ready for anything~

ENVIRONMENT:

~Tav has landed in a well-lit, welcoming lobby room with chairs and couches and tables, all for the most part looking clean and taken care of; the rooms smells vaguely of coffee~

MAN:

~a man with blonde hair and glasses sits behind the desk on the back wall writing something, but it’s not the Master—he looks up at the Doctor in surprise, adjusting his glasses~ …um, can I, help you? ~his accent is American~

DOCTOR:

Uh… can you? ~glances around in awkward confusion~ I’m looking for a Caroline—you know, the one who runs this place. ~inhales deeply through his nose to determine the man’s species~

ENVIRONMENT:

~he’s certainly human, but the scent of Timelord also lingers prominently in the air~

MAN:

Yes, she would be, uh… ~responds as he looks down at his desk thoughtfully~

CAROLINE:

~a door to the left slides open and she walks in carrying a coffee mug, casually at first before stopping when she notices the Doctor in confusion~ what are _you_ doing here?

DOCTOR:

What do you _think_ I’m doing here? Did you think you could keep the connection with the TARDIS and _use_ it without me noticing? ~his voice is laden with bitter fury as he speaks, practically shaking~

CAROLINE:

~looks shocked, setting the mug down on the desk and looking at the man behind it questioningly~

MAN:

~just shakes his head slightly~

CAROLINE:

~looks back at the Doctor~ I didn’t _use_ the connection at all… I thought I remembered disconnecting the TARDIS in the first place; wh… what’s happened? ~she sounds concerned~

DOCTOR:

We ran across past you—from when we were still testing. It was accidental, of course, and we were nowhere near Aperture, but you—or that you—made it plainly clear the TARDIS is still connected. After we left that time for the present, we were just getting a bit of food when what I reasonably assumed was you got into the Master’s mind and started returning his memories… ~explains in an uncomfortable, wary tone~

CAROLINE:

~looks thoughtful, speaking after a moment~ the only possible explanation for that would- ~is interrupted as the door she had come in through opens again~

WOMAN:

~a woman with dark hair and a purple 19th-century-looking outfit strides through and heads straight for the Doctor with a grin~ hello darling, so nice to see you! ~speaking in a Scottish accent as she nudges Caroline aside, standing close to the Doctor and looking him up and down~

DOCTOR:

~looks hopelessly confused for a moment before the woman comes closer and he can smell her, looking surprised, confused, and almost afraid~ …Master?

MISSY:

Mistress. ~corrects the Doctor, smiling~ but yes, very good. ~exasperatedly starts buttoning up the Doctor’s shirt~ now come on; not that I’m complaining, but you can’t take a moment to dress yourself properly?

DOCTOR:

Sorry, I was in a bit of a rush; didn’t want to end up waking you or Alia up. ~lets Missy button up his shirt, speaking as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening~ so, were _you_ the one trying so hard to get the Master’s memories back in his head?

MISSY:

~chuckles, finishing with the Doctor’s shirt but leaving the top two buttons open. Steps back and lifts her hands up as if in surrender, but she’s smiling almost madly~ seems you’ve caught me, Doctor.

DOCTOR:

So, I’m assuming you do—at some point—remember, then… you probably know I want to know what happened… I honestly came here ready to maim Caroline and to stop everything from going to Hell again, but that seems a bit unnecessary now. ~but he knows he’d enjoy it if he was given the excuse and he has to stop himself from adding the statement~

CAROLINE:

~looks taken aback and a bit wary~

MISSY:

~steps forward to set one hand on the Doctor’s shoulder and lean over to his ear, whispering with a sly grin~ she _did_ purposefully leave the connection open; the little liar. I’ve already gotten what I wanted out of her anyway, so I wouldn’t stop you.

DOCTOR:

~bites his lip, thinking for a second before realizing he has nothing to lose by doing this but respect for himself. Like a snake, he whips out the pistol-like gun he has in his trouser pocket and shoots Caroline four times to the drumbeat that rings in his ears, each bullet landing perfely to disable a limb—one in each arm by the shoulders and one in each leg by the hip, designed to not kill Her instantly~

CAROLINE:

~screams in pain as she collapses to the ground~

MAN:

~jumps up from behind the desk, going over to her in panic~

MISSY:

~just grins, moving back from the Doctor’s ear slightly to kiss him on the cheek, leaving behind in imprint in lipstick as she speaks breathlessly~ that’s my Doctor. ~steps to the side, looking down at Caroline~

CAROLINE:

~whimpering on the floor in small pools of her own blood~

DOCTOR:

~smirks a little, putting his gun away and taking a matchbox out and lighting a match~ oh, what’s that saying, Mistress? ~pauses as if in thought, putting on a bit of a show~ ah, right, I remember! Burn in Hell, GLaDOS. ~tosses the lit match onto Caroline, it instantly catching her clothes on fire~ and good luck with stop drop and roll.

MISSY:

~chuckles~

MAN:

~desperately tries to wave away the spreading fire~

CAROLINE:

~cries out in pain, the fire burning through and reaching her skin as she writhes uselessly. After a few minutes her screams die down~

MAN:

~stands up, backing off in fear and running from the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~looks at Caroline’s charred, limp body, grinning with tears in his eyes~ well, I should probably take my leave before he gets some sort of backup. ~looks to Missy~ I trust you have things covered… I’d ask questions but I figure I’ll get my answers sooner or later.

MISSY:

Suure. ~she looks smugly satisfied and excited~ well, that was fun. ~starts walking to the opposite side of the room, her stride slow, turning to face the Doctor and grimacing in a guilty sort of way~ oh and, by the way, ~pouts mockingly~ I lied. ~walks flamboyantly out of the room, calling over her shoulder~ ‘till next time, sweetie! ~as the door closes behind her~

DOCTOR:

Of course you did. ~turns and walks back into Tav~ can’t expect any less, can I? ~goes to set the coordinates to go back to the TARDIS, mentally telling Tav that the Master intends to take her on his “errands” soon and they won’t leave her for as long this time~

TAV:

~asks the Doctor if they could just land inside of the TARDIS to make things more convenient, seeming a bit emotionless after what just happened~

DOCTOR:

Yeah. ~adjusts the coordinates accordingly so they’ll land in his console room before pulling the takeoff lever and flying Tav unenthusiastically. Leaves her as soon as they land, closing the doors behind him and opening his mind entirely to the TARDIS but not yet to the Master~ I’m so sorry, old girl…

TARDIS:

~welcomes the Doctor back gently, comforting him, asking what’s wrong and why he feels the need to apologize. Doesn’t let the Doctor get away with just revealing his memories, leaving the recent ones alone entirely~

DOCTOR:

I-I thought She’d monitor anything I did in you, so I went to Tav to—to stop everything from falling apart, and I brought weapons with every intention of using them. ~goes up to the console as he speaks~ but it turns out that the Master regenerated into a female and is solely responsible for the lasting connection… of course I couldn’t stay mad at the Master—or, Mistress—but she said that Caroline lied, she told me that Caroline kept the link, and I took the excuse to brutally kill Caroline. The Mistress then confessed to lying herself before leaving.

TARDIS:

~conveys the equivalent of sighing and a solem shake of the head, forgiving the Doctor and gently reprimanding him about going out while he had the drums in his mind, knowing that without them he might not have killed someone out of spite~

DOCTOR:

I don’t even know anymore… maybe I’d be less brutal with it, but I-… I wanted to kill Her the day we let her go. I’ve been ready to shoot her dead since things got bad the first time. ~sets the coordinates to be in front of their house~

TARDIS:

~she has to admit that Caroline no longer being a threat feels relieving, but she asks with saddened remembrance why the Doctor didn’t consider neutralizing her without killing, as he used to do, whenever he won against a certain enemy and had a choice of how to dispose of them. Adds that she’s not blaming the Doctor after what he’s been through, but she still hopes that someday, the Doctor’s mercifulness will return~

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly~ I know… I’ve been a pretty sad excuse for a Doctor… ~pulls the takeoff lever and flies the TARDIS solemnly~ at least it should still be night time; Alia will be asleep and I can just discuss this with the Master first.

TARDIS:

~encourages the Doctor getting back to his family, her spirits seeming to pick up a bit as she knows the Master should surely be able to help the Doctor get around this~

DOCTOR:

~smiles faintly at the TARDIS’ encouragement, leaving her after she lands and closing the doors behind him. Walks into the house quietly, only opening his mind back up to the Master when he reenters their room and keeping his more recent memories blocked, stopping his attempts at being silent after he closes the door~

MASTER:

~has rolled over to face the other direction, the unattached leash lying alone in the center of the bed as the Master sleeps soundly, undisturbed and not noticing the Doctor’s reentry~

DOCTOR:

~takes his shoes off before climbing into bed and reattaching his leash, not yet trying to wake the Master up, but not trying to let him sleep either~

MASTER:

~the Doctor’s disruption of the mattress causes him to wake up, and he turns over onto his back drowsily, looking over at the Doctor while he’s in the process of attaching the leash~ did you go somewhere? ~his words are slightly mumbled~

DOCTOR:

Yeah… ~grimaces inwardly at what he’s woken the Master up to say, avoiding the other Timelord’s gaze~ I, uh… I went to Aperture.

MASTER:

~sits up, bumping into the headboard in the process but not looking like he cares all that much apart from an annoyed wince~ what? Why? ~suddenly notices something, blinking a few times before taking hold of the Doctor’s jaw and turning his head to the side, his eyebrows furrowing at the kiss mark on the Doctor’s cheek~

DOCTOR:

That was literally you—well, future you. Let me explain? ~he sounds almost like he’d rather the Master just get mad at him, unblocking his memories and adding in a defeated tone~ you can even just see for yourself…

MASTER:

~lets go of the Doctor’s jaw, glancing downward as he scans the Doctor’s memories, becoming more shocked as the events play out, looking up at the Doctor worriedly. Most of his concern is for his future regeneration and how she manipulated the Doctor into killing, as he wasn’t that attached to Caroline at this point and disliked her about as much as the Doctor~ you could at lest have done it quickly. ~speaks softly as he forces the drums out of the Doctor’s mind, taking them back into his own thoughts~

DOCTOR:

I know… ~doesn’t try to stop the Master from taking the drums, thinking before speaking in a broken tone~ god damn it, Master, what the hell is wrong with me? I’ve gotten more blood on my hands in the past week or so than I have since the Time War; and I’d love to say it was all justified by the drums but I bloody know better. ~looks down at the sheets as he speaks~

MASTER:

~brings an arm around the Doctor’s waist, holding him closely~ We can’t undo what’s already happened. ~pauses to organize what he’s going to say next~ but we’ve got a future ahead of us, and that, we can change… you can either dwell on the mistakes you’ve made or work towards getting better. ~meets the Doctor’s gaze~ If you need help, we’ll get help.

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the Master’s comfort, leaning into him bit as he speaks~ thank you… ~makes himself focus on here and now in order to not dwell or worry—two things he seems to spend the majority of his time doing~

MASTER:

No problem. ~smiles and rubs the Doctor’s back slightly, remaining silent for a moment before asking curiously~ so, how did you like me as a woman? ~leans toward the Doctor, daintily bringing his other hand to the Doctor’s shoulder~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles slightly at the unexpected question~ you know I don’t give a damn what you look like. Personality wise she was basically the same as you used to be except more straight-forward and not seeming to despise me.

MASTER:

~scoffs in annoyance, gently pushing the Doctor down onto the bed and relaxing next to him~ you’ve called me handsome before. I’d say that counts as ‘giving a damn’.

DOCTOR:

~relaxes onto the bed as well, smiling~ oh, fine. In my opinion, you looked—are going to look?—beautiful, ~adds in a joking tone~ if a bit closer to your age.

MASTER:

~chuckles, bringing one arm across the Doctor’s shoulders and the other to rest on the Doctor’s chest, speaking softly~ I do wonder how I end up regenerating, though… ~closes his eyes, snuggling up to the Doctor drowsily~

DOCTOR:

~brings his own arm around the Master’s waist, exhausted by now~ we’ll see, I suppose. Well, goodnight—really, this time. ~closes his eyes, feeling more at ease than he has in a while despite recent events—the TARDIS was right when she thought the Master would surely help him around it~

MASTER:

Yes, goodnight. ~barely mutters it, it not taking him long to settle back into sleep~

~•~

ALIA:

~has climbed onto the bed and jostled the mattress~ Daddy! Father! Get up, something’s happening outside! ~she sounds distressed~

ENVIRONMENT:

~dull morning light comes through the window on the back wall~

DOCTOR:

Alright, alright, I’m up. ~groans drowsily, rolling over and almost falling off the bed, catching himself and slipping his shoes on~ so, what’s going on, Alia? What’s got you so worked up?

MASTER:

~sits up and blinks drowsily~

ALIA:

~runs over to the window to look out at a world covered in a sheet of white, with thousands of flakes falling down like rain~ see? ~points at the window to gesture to the distressing scene~

DOCTOR:

~is unable to stop himself from laughing out loud when he realizes what Alia’s so distressed about, speaking as his laughter dies down~ sorry, sorry… that’s snow, Alia, there’s nothing wrong with it. In fact, it can be fun!

MASTER:

~gets out of bed and halfheartedly tosses on his shirt, walking over barefoot to peer out the window, still pretty much half asleep~ no thanks. You two are welcome to go out and mess around like loons if you like. ~starts buttoning up his shirt as he turns to walk out of the room~

ALIA:

~takes a second look at what’s outside~ snow? ~sounding astonished~

DOCTOR:

Yeah; on Earth, little droplets of water fall from the sky on occasion, that’s called rain. When it’s cold enough, the water freezes into microscopic crystals that lump into snowflakes. ~smiles, part of him wanting to go back to sleep but knowing that’s not happening now~

ALIA:

~looks over at the Doctor~ what? ~giggles, placing her hands on the glass and looking back out, taking one of her hands off almost immediately and looking at it~ it’s cold! ~giggles again~

DOCTOR:

To be frozen, things have to be cold… cold is what freezes things. I think I can show you, just give me a minute. ~goes to get his suit jacket and trench coat on, buttoning his shirt up the rest of the way as well~

MASTER:

~comes back into the room, grabbing his suit jacket since he had forgotten it and heading out of the room again silently~

ALIA:

~watches him until he leaves, looking over at the Doctor~ is Father going somewhere?

DOCTOR:

~thinks for a second before answering~ I think he was going to run some errands. He’ll be back… He always comes back. ~starts towards the door to leave the room once he’s fully dressed~

ALIA:

Okay! ~smiles and hurries after the Doctor, not worried after the Doctor’s explanation~ let’s go! ~seems excited~

DOCTOR:

~goes to exit the house, figuring the high tolerance Timelords have for temperature and the fact that Alia has a jacket means she’ll be fine~

MASTER:

~opens the door, looking up at the Doctor in surprise as the door barely missed hitting anybody~ oh, sorry. Haven’t been out yet, then? ~smiles a little, stepping inside with a satchel slung over his shoulder, having also changed his clothes to a more casual dark blue shirt with jeans and a grey collared winter jacket~

DOCTOR:

Nope, we were just on our way. ~smiles as he adds~ you _sure_ you don’t want to play in the snow? We could all head to a park where there’s more space, even start up a good snowball fight, if we want.

MASTER:

~rolls his eyes slightly, going over to the kitchen table and setting down the satchel~

ALIA:

~comes over to him and looks up at him pleadingly~ come on, Father, please?

MASTER:

~he looks back at her for a moment, then over at the Doctor, sighing~ alright Alia, I’ll come with. ~leaving the satchel on the table, smiles and walks back to the front door~

DOCTOR:

~his smile widens as he opens the door to go outside in the snow, not minding the fact that he gets cold and wet rather quickly in the weather, taking the snow off of a railing as he passes it and compacting it into a snowball~

ALIA:

~runs past the Master to follow the Doctor into the snow, giggling in excitement as she tries to walk through the foot of it that’s on the ground and falls to her knees, trying to copy the Doctor by patting the snow together ineffectively~

MASTER:

~Looks out at the falling flakes, staying in the doorway and looking like he might be having second thoughts about this as he pops up the collar of his coat~

DOCTOR:

~pelts his snowball at a tree, smiling as it sticks~ hey Alia, want to build a snow fort? ~scans the area in front of their house for an ideal place for if they don’t go to the park~

ALIA:

~she gasps, looking up at the Doctor~ what’s a snow fort??

ENVIRONMENT:

~the sidewalk starts right at the bottom of the stairs, leaving little to no room as the houses are rather compacted. The TARDIS is also parked on the property, on top of where the sidewalk would be, taking up a considerable amount of space~

DOCTOR:

~responds decidedly after a second~ I’ll show you when we get to a park. ~picks Alia up to let her ride on his shoulders rather than having her trudge through the snow, going to the nearest person to politely ask about the nearest park~

ALIA:

~laughs, holding on to the Doctor’s head to keep her balance~

STRANGER:

~stops to answer the Doctor’s question~ down this street, and then to the right, about three blocks. ~gesturing to the end of the street that’s to the left of their house~

MASTER:

~eventually closes the door and makes his way over to the Doctor and Alia uncomfortably~

DOCTOR:

Thank you. ~turns to the Master as the Timelord approaches them, instantly able to sense his companion’s discomfort~ you know, if you dislike it that much, you _can_ stay inside.

MASTER:

No; it’s just… ~buttons up his jacket, and puts his hands in his pockets as he avoids looking at the Doctor~ I don’t believe I’ve ever done this, first hand, before. For fun. ~looks up at the falling snowflakes, squinting and lowering his gaze again~

DOCTOR:

Oh, ~smiles at the Master~ well that’s nothing to worry about, is it? There’s really no wrong way to play in the snow, and the typical things people do in it are quite simple. ~starts walking in the direction the stranger had said~ the worst thing that could happen is you get hit in the face with a snowball or don’t end up enjoying the activities.

ALIA:

~tries to catch snowflakes with her tongue~

MASTER:

~walks beside the Doctor~ I suppose I’ve just had bad experiences with the cold. ~speaks softly, remembering something that he’s not letting the Doctor see in detail~

DOCTOR:

We both have. I suppose you might understand why I wasn’t too fond of being under water now. ~speaks in a casual tone in order to not alert Alia~ but that’s all gone now; in the past.

MASTER:

I know. ~looks at the Doctor in confusion, matching the Doctor’s tone of voice as he walks~ but, why would being underwater be a problem?

DOCTOR:

Drowning. Or did you not get that memory back? ~looks back at the Master as he replies, continuing to walk down the street~

MASTER:

No, apparently not. ~looks like he was going to say something else~

ALIA:

~speaks before he can~ I can’t catch them! ~she pouts, watching as snowflakes land on her hands and quickly melt~

DOCTOR:

Good; that means you’re alive. ~easily responds to Alia though he still wonders what the Master was going to say as he takes the right turn~

ALIA:

Hm? ~she looks down at the Doctor in momentary confusion, then smiles~ oh, okay!

MASTER:

~mentally continues from where he left off, saying that in the memory that mostly caused his disliking of cold weather, he was alone~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head slightly in bitter understanding, not giving any clear response to the Master’s statement. The more he thinks about it, the less bad he feels about Caroline’s death~

MASTER:

~points out that the Doctor is dwelling on things again, even if it is making him feel less guilty by doing so~

ALIA:

~giggles seemingly without reason and wipes the snow in the Doctor’s hair away, almost managing to smooth it down~

DOCTOR:

~rolls his eyes slightly at the reminder that seems to come up more frequently than rain in London, though he doesn’t ignore it. Shakes his head quickly so his dampened hair raises in spikes at Alia, somehow managing to not look absolutely ridiculous~

MASTER:

~chuckles~

ALIA:

~leans back a little to allow for the Doctor to shake his head before coming forward again as her hands explore through the Doctor’s hair in fascination~ where’s the park, Daddy? ~she looks up and around herself after a moment to search for one~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at Alia’s actions, explaining~ we should near it soon, if the human pointed us in the correct direction… ~looks around himself, soon spotting the park fence~ ah, there it is.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the entrance to the park is a little further along, an open gate with a sign on it with the park name and hours; the snow in the park is relatively untouched, with only a few people playing between the trees~

DOCTOR:

~walks to the park before setting Alia down, looking at the people who play in the snow~ you know, I’ve never seen you throw anything… have you a good arm, Master?

MASTER:

~speaks before thinking~ you should know. ~raises an eyebrow at the Doctor, almost casually recalling that one time where he wielded his belt~

DOCTOR:

~bites his lip, his voice cracking when he speaks~ point taken. ~shakes his head to force his focus back on the task at hand~ so, a snow fort… should we ask the people over there if they want to have a snowball fight with us? Then both sides could make forts at the same time and we could get started faster, if you guys want to fight with them.

ALIA:

Yeah! ~she responds eagerly, getting up and high-stepping through the snow and towards the group of about three other kids~

MASTER:

~shrugs, though the Doctor’s unsteady voice coaxed a faint grin out of him~ sure, why not.

DOCTOR:

~starts towards the group of kids, getting there before Alia and asking in a friendly yet challenging tone~ excuse me, would you folks care for a snowball fight?

KIDS:

~the group stops running after each other and looks over at the Doctor, one boy speaking up first and matching the Doctor’s challenging tone~ yeah. It’s _on,_ mister. ~looks back at the boy and girl behind him, and they nod back, adopting determined expressions~

MASTER & ALIA:

~catch up with the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Well then, shall we set up forts first? ~speaks in a polite, calm tone, knowing these kids don’t know who they’re up against~ and after forts have been set up, the fight is on, of course.

BOY:

~shrugs~ sure, okay. Snow forts it is. ~turns around to walk off to a nice and clear spot between the trees, where both of them should have room to make a snow fort~

ALIA:

~watches them intently, seeming very interested by them and starting to walk in the same direction~

DOCTOR:

~walks over to the opposite side of the clear area as the humans, motioning for Alia to follow him~

ALIA:

~stops and follows the Doctor instead~

MASTER:

~trails behind them~

DOCTOR:

So, here’s what we do: make a good, sturdy fort—no roof is required, but we need to be able to get out without breaking it. Then we make some rock-solid snowballs for ammo, nothing is too hardly packed unless it crumbled in your hands. Then we pelt them with snowballs, but don’t hit them in the face—unless they hit you in the face, then it’s payback and completely acceptable.

ALIA:

~she looks up at the Doctor worriedly~ this game doesn’t sound very nice, or fair, specially for the humans…

DOCTOR:

Oh, it’s all in good, competitive fun, Alia. You and the Master haven’t even done anything in the snow like this before and they are going to be hurling snowballs at us too, so I find it mostly fair. Humans have all sorts of competitive games and no one’s ever been badly injured in a snowball fight before… ~smiles at Alia~ and humans are tougher than they seem; they just might surprise you.

ALIA:

~she smiles a little mischievously, getting to her knees and looking around at the space available, then across at their opponents who have started already~ right, so how do you build a snow fort?

MASTER:

~stands a little apart from them, awkwardly trying not to act awkward~

DOCTOR:

Well first, you want to dig a dip in the ground wide enough for your team. ~makes an oval in the snow where their old fort should be~ so how about you start on that, and your Father and I will start on walls going up from the snow? Once we’re all done, we can start on snowballs.

ALIA:

Okay! ~she eagerly starts pawing at the snow inside the Doctor’s oval, pushing the excess snow up and forward to provide for the wall~

MASTER:

~looks at the Doctor cluelessly, unsure of what exactly he’s supposed to do~

DOCTOR:

Alright, Master, all we have to do is pack the snow together into a wall; easier said than done. ~starts making the wall on one end of the oval~ we only need it on the side facing the other group.

MASTER:

Right. ~crouches down to start on the wall with the Doctor, taking the snow that Alia pushed up to use to build it. As he works he gradually buries the end of the Doctor’s leash into the wall~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t notice the fact that one end of his leash is getting stuck in the wall as it allows him room enough to work on the wall. Once they’re done, however, he goes to stand to his full height, laughing when he realizes what happened~

MASTER:

~chuckles~ need help with that, Doctor?

ALIA:

~looks up from where she sits in her snow-dip, which is about 6 inches deep by now~

DOCTOR:

I think I’ve got it. ~carefully tries to dig his leash out of their wall, knowing him on his knees digging at the ground probably amuses the Master but not paying that any mind~

MASTER:

Alright, suit yourself. ~folds his arms and smirks as he watches the Doctor, amused as expected~

ALIA:

~peeks over the edge of the wall at the Doctor, asking curiously~ hey, Daddy. Why’s it no one else wears that thing but you? ~points to the leash~

DOCTOR:

 _That_ is something I can talk to you about when we’re back at the house, if you really want to know. ~digs the end of his leash out and puts the snow back in the hole created by the action~

ALIA:

Okay. ~smiles a little mischievously, like she’s going to hold him to that statement~

MASTER:

~squeaks in surprise as a powerful snowball hits him in the back, and he whips around to face their opponent’s fort angrily~

DOCTOR:

~is startled and confused for a second before realizing what happened, quickly scooping snow up in his hands, packing it together, and pegging it at one of the opposing children~

CHILD:

~tries to hide behind their fort to avoid the Doctor’s snowball but it hits him anyway~

ALIA:

~does the same as a few more snowballs come their way~

MASTER:

~throws a particularly strong one that takes a chunk off of the kids’ fort~

DOCTOR:

~grins, dodging and ducking and using the fort for cover in between pelting their opponents with well-crafted snowballs, unable to not be a little impressed by the damage the Master manages to bring to the enemy fort~

MASTER:

~smirks slightly at the Doctor’s reaction, getting hit by two snowballs at once and decidedly stumbling back to hide behind the fort with the rest of them, asking the Doctor~ so, what decides a winner in this game?

ALIA:

~tries to help make snowballs~

DOCTOR:

~speaks thoughtfully as he continues to fight their enemies~ considering it’s a game of battle, if they surrendered we’d win. Most snowball fights don’t end with a clear winner… much like war, I suppose, except with no loss.

ALIA:

~makes a pile of snowballs for the Doctor and the Master to use, peeking up over the edge of the wall just as a snowball from the other side comes her way, getting her in the face. She crouches back down, wiping snow out of her eyes and whining a little~

DOCTOR:

~gives Alia a concerned glance before glaring at the kids across the clearing~ _Now_ they’ve done it… ~hits all three of them square in the face before turning to Alia, wiping his hands on a dryer spot on his clothing before gently wiping the snow from Alia’s face~

ALIA:

~she sniffles, sneezing lightly after the Doctor’s finished and looking over at the other children~

KIDS:

~their attacks stop and one of them bails~

ALIA:

~smirks slightly~ thanks Daddy.

MASTER:

~is just watching the other kids with a snowball in his hand, marveling a bit at the Doctor’s deadly accuracy~

DOCTOR:

~smiles mischievously, liking every aspect of the current situation minus the fact that Alia was hit in the face~ any time, Alia. No one’s ever going to get away with hurting you, don’t you worry about that. ~gets up, watching the one child leave their team before turning to the other team~ dost thou surrender under attack like your own?

BOY:

~the one who seems to be the spokesperson for the group angrily wipes snow off his face and replies obnoxiously~ what are you saying? ~motioning for the remaining girl behind him to move forward, and they start throwing snowballs at the Doctor~

MASTER:

~at this, he throws his snowball and catches the boy in his stomach, nearly winding him~

DOCTOR:

Alright, these kids are asking for it. ~ducks down into the fort to make some snowballs before standing and throwing them with precision to knock their hoods off and hit them in their exposed necks and heads but not their faces again~

KIDS:

~after only a moment of this the both of them give up and run back to their other companion, giving the Doctor sour looks as they disappear over a hill, probably to go back to their parents~

ALIA:

Did we win? ~smiles and looks up at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles before lifting Alia up onto his shoulders~ yup! No one’s a match against your Daddy when he’s mad. ~smiles up at Alia before looking to the Master~ speaking of which, we should probably get the Hell out of Dodge if those kids told their parents.

MASTER:

~stands up and nods in agreement~ yeah, probably. ~starts walking towards the exit~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a black van is parked by the gate that hadn’t been there before; it looks familiar to the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the van, smiling and shaking his head slightly~ do they get notified whenever my name comes up on anything or something? ~walks beside the Master easily~

MASTER:

Who? ~looks confused as he walks, exiting the park and looking over at the stationary van warily~

JACK:

~the driver’s window slides down and Jack leans out casually~ hey, Doc! Assaulting young children with snowballs now, are we?

DOCTOR:

They assaulted mine first. ~gestures up at Alia, smiling~ Alia, this is my good friend, Jack; Jack, this is my—and the Master’s—daughter, Alia.

JACK:

~looks a little uncomfortable despite his efforts, chuckling~ nice to meet you, kid. ~obviously confused about the details of Alia’s existence though he decides to overlook it~

ALIA:

~responds cheerily~ hi Jack! ~waving to him~

DOCTOR:

You and the crew on a mission? ~glances briefly into the van, trying to shift Jack’s attention to a more comfortable topic~

JACK:

Well uh, actually; we thought _you_ were. What with all those forged documents in the system. ~ducks his head back inside the car~ don’t worry, though, they’re pretty good fakes. They should work for a while.

DOCTOR:

Why thank you very much, I forged them myself. No, we just got a uh… ~hesitates, knowing this is the last thing Jack expects from him~ a house…

JACK:

~takes a moment, then laughs good-naturedly~ so how’s that working out for you?

ALIA:

~responds, hugging the Doctor under his chin~ it’s great! Isn’t it, Daddy? ~looking down at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~smiles happily, relaxing again, thankful for Jack’s easygoing nature~ yes! ~looks back at Jack, chuckling as he adds~ though the TARDIS is far from neglected, I assure you… oh, I had to do a mission with UNIT recently—before the whole house thing.

JACK:

~nods, looking minorly disappointed~ yeah… no current alien problems, then? ~glances into the backseat for the look of it, though no one is actually in the van; looking back at the Doctor~ I suppose I’ll get going. Good luck, with whatever you’re doing. ~smiles, but it’s a little forced~

DOCTOR:

~furrows his eyebrows at the action~ are you alright, Jack? ~gives a worried, sympathetic look, adding in a carefully soft tone~ I know there’s no one else in there… They would have spoken by now.

JACK:

I’m fine; don’t worry about me. ~speaks dryly, focusing on starting up the van~ I should be getting back to HQ anyway, see you around ~steers the van back out onto the road~

DOCTOR:

See you… ~shakes his head, sticking his hands in his pockets and walking along the street to head back home, muttering quietly~ if there was anyone in HQ, they would be in that van with you.

ALIA:

~holds onto the Doctor tightly, feeling a little unsteady~

MASTER:

~follows closely beside the Doctor, asking after a moment~ what was all that about?

DOCTOR:

~sighs~ Jack is more prone to pretending to be fine than either of us; he’s always lonely whether or not he’s alone and, judging by the fact that he is alone now, something has to have happened… the man’s helped me with more than you might expect and won’t even let me try to help him.

MASTER:

~hooks his arm around the Doctor’s as they walk~ maybe we could pay a visit to Torchwood sometime and see if there’s anything we can do to help.

DOCTOR:

Yeah… ~it’s clear mentally that he feels partially responsible though he doesn’t even know for sure what’s wrong~

ALIA:

~rests her cheek on top of the Doctor’s head, having heard his thoughts and responding reassuringly~ it’s okay Daddy.

DOCTOR:

~smiles at everyone’s reassurance~ thank you… ~thinks for a moment before stating~ you know, in the long run, I have to be the luckiest man alive…

ALIA:

Why’sat?

MASTER:

~semi-understands what the Doctor’s talking about but is still somewhat confused~

DOCTOR:

I’ve lived long enough that yes, a lot of bad has happened and yes, I caused a portion of it; but it was near impossible for me to not be the last Timelord, I had swept all time and space. Yet somehow, the Master was alive. Then, by some miraculous feat, we’ve managed to not kill each other, and look at us now…

MASTER:

~smiles warmly~

ALIA:

~giggles, wrapping her arms around the Doctor’s head in a hug~ so how’d you meet Father then, Daddy?

DOCTOR:

The first time would be at the Academy—which was the big school for Timelords… we always clashed, I could never be completely sure whether we were friends or enemies; I just went with both. ~chuckles at his own description~

ALIA:

Was that on Gallifrey? ~asks with interest, her hands hooked together loosely around the Doctor’s neck as she rests her head on the Doctor’s~

DOCTOR:

Yes. ~easily explains, careful not to let his feelings towards Gallifrey show mentally~ before I met the TARDIS. You see, we didn’t travel together, that’s actually fairly recent.

ALIA:

Why not? ~asks while nuzzling the Doctor~

MASTER:

~lets go of the Doctor’s arm and starts walking a little ahead of the other two Timelords once they turn onto their street~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t question the Master’s actions, answering Alia~ because the Master and I have always had a very different set of morals or rules we live our lives by, so we ended up more as enemies than friends… I was the only one who really wanted us to get along.

MASTER:

Maybe we should get another set of clothes for Alia. ~speaks for the fact that everyone’s practically soaked through because of the snow, seeming to have not been paying attention to the current conversation~

DOCTOR:

~is confused for a second by the change in topic though he quickly figures it out~ yes. And I should probably get a job, at least soon.

MASTER:

~chuckles a little involuntarily, still finding the prospect of jobs the oddest thing about all this~ should we find a school while we’re at it or will that not be necessary?

DOCTOR:

I am pretty confident that when it comes to education at a Timelord’s speed, we’re the most fit to cover it. There _is_ such a thing as “homeschooling” on Earth.

MASTER:

~shrugs~

ALIA:

~as they near their house she ruffles the Doctor’s hair impatiently~ now tell me about that thing you wear! You said when we got back home.

DOCTOR:

Alright, fine… it’s called a leash. The thing around my neck that it connects to is a collar. Technically speaking, they’re meant to lead pets—which are creatures a person owns.

MASTER:

~grins as the Doctor gives his explanation, going up to the front door and opening it to head inside~

ALIA:

~speaks in confusion~ but nobody owns you, Daddy… right?

DOCTOR:

Not technically, no. ~comes into the house a bit behind the Master, closing the door behind him and setting Alia down off of his shoulders~ your Father comes pretty close to it, though, and he likes the feeling of superiority—or having power over someone—while I enjoy being submissive—or doing what others want. It just sort of fits together.

ALIA:

Oh. Ok. ~seems minorly confused but she doesn’t dwell on it too much, bounding over to the Master when she notices he’s gone over to retrieve the satchel on the kitchen table, asking~ what’s in there, Father?

MASTER:

~he hesitates, slinging the satchel over his shoulder~ I don’t know. Not yet, anyway.

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master in curious confusion, not asking anything though his near suspicious curiosity is blatantly obvious, especially to the Master~

MASTER:

~notices the Doctor’s interest, reaching to open the satchel, though he’s clearly a bit worried about doing so~ I wanted to wait until I got back. ~his hand stops, simply resting on top of the bag; he asks the Doctor if they could talk privately~


	2. Satchel

DOCTOR:

~responds in the positive, concerned by the Master’s demeanor, trying to think of somewhere Alia could go that he knows is safe and finding that the safest nearby location is the house, not wanting to alert or worry Alia~ Alia… could you go play in your room for a minute?

ALIA:

Yeah, sure. ~seems a little less enthusiastic than normal as she notices that something’s wrong, walking past the Doctor to go head upstairs~

MASTER:

~once she’s gone, sets the satchel back down on the kitchen table~ I did end up having to go back to Aperture when running errands. And, well, Caroline gave me this. ~makes sure to explain that he had to go back in time a bit~

DOCTOR:

~nods in understanding, looking at the satchel as he speaks~ so it could be anything… good, bad, or otherwise… and we have to open it at some point, but there’s no telling what could happen when we do, so we risk everything. Though there is a chance it’s just some minor mockery or even something nice, because she really didn’t do anything wrong as a human.

MASTER:

~pauses briefly to think it over~ …exactly. Though, it’s unlikely that _everything_ would be at risk…

DOCTOR:

Oh, of course. She was a lot of things, but she’s never been genocidal. I was counting possibility, not probability. It’s _possible_ because of how advanced Aperture tech is.

MASTER:

~nods slightly, tentatively running a hand along the outside of the bag to see if he might be able to feel its contents first~ so… should we open it? Or wait a while?

DOCTOR:

What would we be waiting for? If we procrastinate over it, it’s going to be like Pandora ’s Box; it will sit somewhere until we just have to open it… though maybe Pandora’s box isn’t the most positive thing to compare that to. ~shakes his head slightly as he’s gone a bit off topic~ so I say we just open it and see what happens.

MASTER:

Alright. ~rotates the satchel to face sideways before cautiously opening the satchel and sliding a hand inside, first pulling out two files labeled with numbers 146 and 453, but knowing that’s not all the bag contains~

DOCTOR:

Our files…? ~looks at his file, hardly wanting to know what She’s gotten from testing him or whatever else She decided to put in those files. Goes to look in file 453 anyway, because he knows he should and will do so at some point~

FILE:

~has only basic subject information, like height and weight and other statistical characteristics, but the files also have comments in them, from different human scientists, about the suspicious way he arrived approximately five years prior to present day~

MASTER:

~doesn’t look at his file, grimacing slightly as he retrieves two flasks filled with blood, going back in for something else~

DOCTOR:

~looks surprised by the comments~ five years…? Master, you might want to actually look at this. ~looks through the papers thoroughly, having been wondering for a long time how they got in Aperture in the first place~

MASTER:

~leaves the last few things in the bag, picking up his file and coming over to look at the Doctor’s~ …what? ~reads the papers~

PAPERS:

~say that the Doctor was found when an experiment with high levels of energy and a bit of unknown material was conducted, sort of generating him out of nowhere; he was in a sorry state, but they had to keep him under supervision because he was classified as a result of the test. The file doesn’t give details after that, and the Master isn’t mentioned at all~

DOCTOR:

Did… did they have possession of a White Point Star? ~doesn’t want to think about what She could do with a white point star, trying to think of a more likely item they could have been using~

MASTER:

~shakes his head slightly~ there’s no way to know for sure. ~opens his file, finding similar comments and a date from only about four years ago~

FILE:

~It says he arrived during the same experiment at a later time, and shortly after the both of them were put into cryosleep~

DOCTOR:

~glances over at the Master’s file when it’s open~ well at least we know what happened now… is there anything else in the bag?

MASTER:

Yeah. ~sets the file down and goes over to the satchel, leaving the vials of blood out on the table as he reaches in and takes out a lightweight, new-looking laptop in confusion~

DOCTOR:

A… Computer? ~goes to open and start up the laptop, curious of the item as if he’s forgotten where it came from~

MASTER:

~shrugs~ that’s what it looks like. ~peers over at the screen as the Doctor turns it on~

COMPUTER:

~it loads up with the standard Aperture logo; the home screen consists of files, organized by date and then by either 146 or 453, with a few extra files out of place because they don’t fit into the timeline. There’s also a digital note, reading “here is all of the data and footage that has been collected during the past month. I have no right to keep it. –Caroline”~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the screen, bringing his face to nest in his hands for a second before letting his hands drop into his lap and shaking his head slightly. Speaks a little weakly~ well… I think we can agree that going through this isn’t necessary.

MASTER:

~looks over the different files, seeming interested in them but concerned for the Doctor, taking a moment to respond~ probably. Certainly not all of it. ~brings an arm across the Doctor’s shoulders~ are you okay?

DOCTOR:

~gives a faint smile, his voice going back to normal as he’s recollected himself~ I’ll be fine… so, which of these should we look at, if any? ~turns his focus to the computer screen thoughtfully~

MASTER:

Um-… well… ~realizes that things are on this computer that one or the other of them doesn’t know had happened, as well as things that could cause the Master to recall memories, and on top of all that he’s sure the Doctor isn’t as interested in the results of the tests as he is~

DOCTOR:

We could just get back to it later; I mean, we can look at anything before [the date/time of the Master’s death] without much risk, but the laptop isn’t going anywhere and neither are the data.

MASTER:

~nods slightly~ okay. ~closes up the laptop, pausing a moment before simply slipping it back into the satchel~ what should we do with these? ~asks a little nervously, picking up the tubes filled with blood~

DOCTOR:

~thinks for a second before responding~ well Martha was right when she said that one vial of Timelord blood could change the course of history, so we can’t really dispose of them—not by simple means, anyway.

MASTER:

We could just keep them somewhere out of the way. ~picks up their files and also puts them back into the satchel~ but that’s nowhere near a permanent solution.

DOCTOR:

~looks at the tubes of blood thoughtfully~ there’s always the black hole option. That’s a pretty permanent way to be rid of something.

MASTER:

~chuckles in amusement~ you know, I’ve never seen you live up to wanting to throw something into a black hole. Remember that disk we got from the mainframe?

DOCTOR:

~shrugs slightly~ eh, it was broken—it’s not like anyone can fix that disk. I threw the TARDIS manual in a black hole… I also threw a planet into a black hole once.

MASTER:

~looks a little concerned but interested at the same time~ why would you do _that?_

DOCTOR:

I disagreed with the manual. The planet was small and I thought I just might die there—the planet was orbiting a black hole and I had lost my TARDIS and I was stuck in the depths of it with a creature that claimed to be actual Satan. I did end up finding the TARDIS and saving most of the humans on a base there; I also threw the Devil into a black hole—I couldn’t let him survive, I had literally let Lucifer out of his cage.

MASTER:

~looks at the table thoughtfully, speaking after a few moments~ I’ll go tell Alia it’s okay to come down. How about after that, we go out and look around the city? ~ruffles the Doctor’s hair slightly, smiling~ we can get lots of other things done while we’re there.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at the Master~ sounds good to me! ~thinks through the bits of the city he knows, realizing after a second that his jumbled mass of memories can’t make up a map and giving up on that~

MASTER:

~chuckles slightly at the Doctor’s thoughts, mentally pointing out that if he tidied up a few things it might be easier to think clearly, making his way up the stairs to get Alia and leaving the satchel on the table~

DOCTOR:

~mentally states that he’d just forget how he organized things, going to the door to wait for the Master and Alia to come down~

ALIA:

~comes down first, seeming excited~ let’s go! Let’s go!

MASTER:

~follows after her, smiling and shaking his head slightly at her energetic behavior~

DOCTOR:

~opens the door, smiling at how eager Alia is~ so, off to the city, then. I do hope there isn’t some spontaneous alien issue… though I don’t _think_ that actually happens daily.

MASTER:

Hopefully not. ~follows Alia outside, closing the door and using a key to lock it~ so, the TARDIS? Or should we use public transportation? It’s part of the city, after all.

DOCTOR:

~turns to the Master to answer his question~ I feel like the TARDIS is easier—and it doesn’t cost us money, as we _are_ on a budget now.

MASTER:

~shrugs~ I just feel like we’d end up missing something. ~gestures to the Doctor slightly~ you’ve got more than enough to pay our fare for one day. ~gives him an almost challenging smile~ are you not up to trying the slower route for once?

ALIA:

~looks at them, confused as to what they’re talking about~

DOCTOR:

Fine, then, we’ll go on public transportation. ~starts walking down the street~ I just don’t see the point when it would be much faster and easier to take the TARDIS—I have thought about the “slow path” before, just never when I knew I had the TARDIS.

MASTER:

Hm, it’s not like you to want to take the easy way out when there’s a more interesting option. ~following after the Doctor~

ALIA:

~comes up beside him~

MASTER:

~seems to remember something, commenting a little sarcastically~ yes, and we’re meant to be showing Alia the ‘wonders of human life’, aren’t we?

DOCTOR:

~just seems a bit confused by the Master~ I don’t see what’s so interesting about public transportation… and I never said the latter—in fact, it was you who suggested settling down in the first place.

MASTER:

~chuckles oddly, trailing off to speak~ oh yes, remembering’s a little difficult, you see… ~chuckles again, it changing to a quiet, high-pitched giggle; his mind is a mess of scrambled thoughts and hazy memories~

DOCTOR:

Master… are you okay? ~looks at the Master in worry and fear, stopping himself from visually responding to the Master’s distorted laughter and making himself focus on the even more concerning statement~

MASTER:

~laughs uncontrollably, slowing to a stop to try to recollect himself~

ALIA:

~stops too and looks up at the Master in distress, holding onto the edge of his jacket~ Father…?

MASTER:

~he manages to stop laughing, pulling away from Alia almost in distaste and stumbling into the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~brings his hands to the Master’s shoulders, bringing the other Timelord around to meet his gaze~ Master, snap out of it! ~sounds angry, though he’s really just desperately afraid of the Master plunging into psychotic madness again~

MASTER:

~looks cheerfully clueless~ out of what? ~giggles, bringing his hands to the Doctor’s shoulders and leaning into him~

DOCTOR:

~lets his arms wrap around the Master, clinging to the familiarity of the action, speaking softly so only the Master can hear him~ Koschei… Stop it, yo-you’re scaring me…

ALIA:

Daddy, what’s wrong with Father…? ~asks in distress~

MASTER:

~grips the Doctor’s suit jacket, forcing the Doctor away from him and snarling~ that’s NOT-… ~trails off, his anger fading somewhat as his thoughts become a little clearer~

DOCTOR:

It’s alright, Alia. ~there are tears in his eyes, but he doesn’t try to get close to the Master again, not knowing exactly what to expect but instinctively associating the statement that the Master didn’t finish with punishment~

ALIA:

~sounds disbelieving as she asks softly~ and what does that mean?

MASTER:

~chuckles again, lightly, taking a threatening step towards the Doctor and raising his right hand slightly as if to prepare to strike him~

DOCTOR:

~just keeps his gaze locked onto the Master’s, not letting himself move away as he answers Alia, having to force his voice to remain steady~ it means that _you_ are going to be alright.

MASTER:

~grins madly and goes to hit the Doctor~

ALIA:

~grabs his arm before he lifts it that much and looks up at him desperately~ Father, please don’t hurt Daddy!

MASTER:

~looks down at Alia in anger at first, but then his expression softens and he seems to relax slightly~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen when he sees Alia stop the Master’s blow, half expecting him to redirect his assault at Alia, ready to stop the Master if he does so, but seeing the Master relax and not daring to disrupt that—not without reason~

MASTER:

~steps back again, pulling his arm out of Alia’s hold and glancing between the Doctor and Alia in gradual realization of his actions, bringing his hands to his face in despair and speaking unsteadily~ I’m so confused…

DOCTOR:

~relaxes a bit when it’s clear Alia isn’t in danger anymore~ It’s okay, Master… ~realizes that the Master’s been remembering _and_ he has the drums in his head, both facts being things the Doctor knows can change the Master and in different ways, looking sympathetic as he figures it’s no wonder why the Master’s confused~

ALIA:

~hugs the Master~

MASTER:

~flinches a bit, but eventually brings his hands down to gently wrap around her as well~ but it’s not, really, because I’m not safe to be around, am I?

DOCTOR:

~gives a sort of wavering smile as he answers~ that’s never stopped me before, has it? We can work through this together, like we always have… and I can keep Alia safe at any cost, but I can’t lose you. Not again.

MASTER:

~shakes his head slightly in understanding~ of course not. I just… ~steps back from Alia worriedly, glancing over at the Doctor and quickly lowering his gaze again shamefully~ I’m scared.

DOCTOR:

~walks up to the Master easily, not hesitating to gently wrap his arms around him~ I’m scared too, Master. Scared for you, scared for Alia, scared for and of myself, scared of losing… but if I were never scared, I’d never be able to save anyone; and if you weren’t scared right now, I’d be more concerned for your mental health than I already am.

MASTER:

~closes his eyes and brings his arms around the Doctor, thankfully nestling into the Doctor’s shoulder~ maybe I should stay home…

DOCTOR:

If you think that’s best… ~pauses for a moment in thought before speaking again~ the problem is that staying home might just give you too much time to think.

MASTER:

~brings his arms further around the Doctor to bring himself closer, speaking softly~ I’d still have you to talk to… ~cringes a bit, struggling to maintain a clear state of mind; a task more difficult than it sounds~

DOCTOR:

~smiles a little, as if he had forgotten about the mental link, rubbing the Master’s back comfortingly~ alright. I’ll try not to take too long… ~adds in an almost joking tone~ which means I’m not using the bloody public transportation.

MASTER:

~chuckles a little weakly, not wanting to let go of the Doctor as he seems to offer a sense of security, but he brings himself to end the hug after a few moments~ I’ll see you later. ~puts his hands in his pockets, turning and strolling back towards the house~

DOCTOR:

See you soon… come on, Alia. ~starts toward the TARDIS, knowing Alia’s going to have questions for him. Makes himself a comforting presence in the Master’s mind~

ALIA:

~follows closely, watching the Master~

MASTER:

~he walks up the steps with a small smile on his face before he steps into the house and closes the door~

ALIA:

Daddy… do you… do you know what happened to Father?

DOCTOR:

Yes, Alia… I do. ~opens the TARDIS easily when they reach her, his memories open so she can know what they’re talking about~

ALIA:

What is it, then? ~asks timidly as she follows him inside, though her attention shifts to the extra TARDIS in the console room~ there’s another one? ~circles around Tav curiously~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes flick briefly to Tav and he nods~ yes; that’s Tav. She came from a parallel universe—one where Gallifrey’s still there. ~goes up to his TARDIS’ console, setting coordinates for the city~

ALIA:

~wraps her arms halfway around Tav cheerfully~ she’s nice too! ~smiles briefly before letting go and running up to the console, looking at the Doctor expectantly~

DOCTOR:

~nods, remembering how quickly he came up with that conclusion himself~ that she is. ~turns to look at Alia~ would you like to pull the takeoff lever?

ALIA:

~frowns~ no, Daddy. ~turns to face the Doctor, looking concerned~ is it a secret?

DOCTOR:

~sighs, shaking his head~ if it’s a secret it’s poorly kept; no, it’s not a secret, your Father’s just-… he’s been through a lot, and he’s done a lot of bad that wasn’t really his fault, and I really had hoped that this wouldn’t even become an issue. But I will tell you what’s going on, if you really want to know.

ALIA:

~looks downward in thought, turning towards the console~ actually… ~smiles slightly~ you don’t have to say. ~reaches up to pull the takeoff lever~

DOCTOR:

~smiles when Alia pulls the lever, flying the TARDIS as he speaks, his smile fading again~ I will say that you should be careful around your Father… Thank you, though, for stopping him.

ALIA:

I couldn’t let him get away with hurting you, Daddy. ~grins a little proudly at repeating the Doctor’s words to her earlier, adopting a more saddened expression after a moment~ but, why would he want to do that?

DOCTOR:

~lands the TARDIS, walking up to Alia and crouching down to be at eye-level with her~ there are a couple things wrong with your Father right now… Things I don’t know how to fix. They’ve both been a problem before, though, so I know what might happen if things get bad… He doesn’t want to hurt us, though—no matter how much it seems like he does. He loves us both very much.

ALIA:

~meets the Doctor’s gaze, listening intently and nodding in solemn understanding~ okay. ~looks sad again~ I hope he gets better…

DOCTOR:

~pulls Alia into a hug~ I do too, Alia… but do my a favor: if your Father’s going to hurt someone, let it be me. He can’t hurt me more than he already has.

ALIA:

~brings her arms gently around the Doctor’s neck, leaning against his head and hesitating a moment before speaking softly~ yes, Daddy.

TARDIS:

~shudders~

DOCTOR:

~mentally asks the TARDIS what caused the movement, standing and picking Alia up with him to start walking towards the doors slowly~ thank you.

TARDIS:

~doesn’t seem to know for sure, which makes her somewhat uncomfortable~

ALIA:

~giggles as the Doctor carries her~ where are we going?

DOCTOR:

Into the city to run some errands. ~stops himself from adding “hopefully”, casually checking on the Master’s mental state as he opens the door with caution~

MASTER:

~seems tired and a little frustrated, but generally clear-headed~

ALIA:

What’s an errand? ~keeps her arms wrapped around the Doctor’s neck~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they walk out onto a busy sidewalk in central London~

DOCTOR:

~closes the TARDIS behind him, walking down the sidewalk~ errands are little tasks that someone has to do like getting groceries or new clothes.

ENVIRONMENT:

~It seems to be a little later in the afternoon by now~

ALIA:

Woah, there’s lots of humans here! ~cheerfully waves to people as they pass by~

DOCTOR:

~stops by the first kids’ clothing place he sees, setting Alia down~ your Father was right when he said you should have a second outfit; why don’t you go pick something out?

ALIA:

~bounces in excitement when the Doctor sets her down~ right in here? ~looks up at the Doctor for clarification as she gestures to the shop~

DOCTOR:

Yup! ~turns to walk into the shop, smiling at Alia’s excitement~ pick what you like—as long as it fits you comfortably, of course.

MASTER:

~relays a brief spark of panic, calming down quickly as he seems to reassure himself, though his mental state is more unstable than earlier~

ALIA:

~hurries inside along with the Doctor, looking around at the different sets of clothes before heading off between other people in the store, easily locating a section for her size~

DOCTOR:

~follows Alia, startled at first by the sudden panic in his mind, trying to give the Master reassurance though he’s not sure what got him so panicked~

MASTER:

~returns the Doctor’s reassurance, seeming to want to prove it to the Doctor more than to himself, becoming insistent and increasingly amused, delving into another psychotic lapse~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head sadly, trying to make the Master aware of what he’s doing as he absently follows Alia, knowing his disbelief in the Master’s insistent reassurance doesn’t put anyone but him at risk at the moment~

ALIA:

~occasionally pauses to look at something, gathering a cream-colored sweater and a longer, burgundy skirt by the time the Master pulls himself to his senses~

MASTER:

~despairingly informs the Doctor that he’s alright; alright being used very relatively~

DOCTOR:

~acknowledges the Master’s temporary recovery, assuring him that they will be back soon. Smiles at Alia though he does seem a bit distracted~ have you chosen what you want?

ALIA:

Yeah! ~holds the clothes up to the Doctor, smiling back~

MASTER:

~becomes unreachable behind a barrier of distressed emotions, eventually fading away to a half-conscious presence~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen slightly at the Master’s fading presence, but he smiles and nods at Alia~ alright then, let’s bring those over to buy them. ~strides toward the checkout desk~

ALIA:

~follows quickly, sliding the clothes up onto the counter and peering up cheerfully at the woman behind the desk~

WOMAN:

~she smiles faintly at Alia, looking up at the Doctor before taking the clothes and scanning them~

DOCTOR:

~sorts through his pocket cash to get the correct amount out and hand it to the cashier, folding the clothing Alia chose in order to carry it easily~

ALIA:

Can I wear it? ~asks as the follows the Doctor out of the store, reaching for the folded clothes in his hand~

MASTER:

~sinks into full unconsciousness~

DOCTOR:

~the Master’s absence makes panic rise in the Doctor, and he quickens his stride towards the TARDIS~ yes, in a moment. Do you remember there being anything else we have to do?

ALIA:

~has to jog occasionally to keep up with the Doctor, thoughtfully pausing~ hm… something about a job?

DOCTOR:

Eh, forget that for now, we can get by without that, at least for the time being… If that was all, we can go back now.

ALIA:

Okay. ~smiles, skipping the rest of the way up to the TARDIS, looking concerned for the ship’s worried mindset~

DOCTOR:

~asks the TARDIS what’s wrong, seeming worried though he’s already preoccupied by the Master’s issues as he goes into the TARDIS, closing the door behind Alia when she follows him in~

TARDIS:

~doesn’t seem to want the Doctor to come inside, but isn’t urgent about the request. She still isn’t sure what’s causing it, but she’s noticed there’s a defect in her systems~

DOCTOR:

I’ll see if I can find the defect after I’ve made sure the Master hasn’t done something drastic. But I do have to get to him as quickly as I can. ~goes to set coordinates for home as he speaks to the TARDIS~

ALIA:

Is Father okay? ~is distressed by the Doctor’s comments, inferring that something bad might have happened~

DOCTOR:

Your Father will be fine—I’ll make sure of that. You just worry about yourself, let Daddy worry about everyone, I have practice. ~puts the TARDIS into flight, his movements more frantic than flamboyant~

ALIA:

~winces slightly at the Doctor’s panicked behavior, going over to cling reassuringly to the railing~ okay Daddy.

DOCTOR:

~lands the TARDIS, murmuring~ sorry. ~not being clear about who he’s talking to, walking to the doors, looking like he was about to add something but he decides not to. Opens the doors to go out~

ALIA:

~lets go of the railing, following after the Doctor quickly and up onto the steps, asking as they head inside~ sorry about what…? ~trails off when she peers into the kitchen~

MASTER:

~is passed out on the kitchen table with the closed laptop under his arms~

DOCTOR:

You weren’t supposed to have to go through this, no child should… go change into your new clothes, alright? ~hands Alia her folded clothes before starting toward the Master~

ALIA:

~nods a little warily, taking the clothes and giving the Master a worried glance~ o-okay. Please help Father. ~hesitates, then walks up the stairs~

MASTER:

~doesn’t stir~

DOCTOR:

~is quickly next to the Master, bringing his head to lean against the Master’s, trying to get the Master to his senses telepathically first~

MASTER:

~responds after a few moments by shifting his position slightly, groping blindly until his hand finds the edge of the Doctor’s trench coat and giving up again~

DOCTOR:

~brings his head away from the Master though he still strongly urges the Master to get up over the link, shaking the Master a little by his shoulders~ come on… god damn it, Master…

MASTER:

~groans quietly, after the small noise becoming completely unresponsive~

DOCTOR:

~takes the laptop out from under the Master, opening it to see if he can see what the Master was looking at, hoping it’s not part of the memories he took but getting the bad feeling that it might have been~

COMPUTER:

~is open to the desktop, except there’s also a simple pop-up window of a message from an unnamed source, reading: “see you soon, boys”~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter because of the cliffhanger being necessary.


	3. Testing and/or Payback

 

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen at the pop-up~ No. No, no, no no—no—nonono… ~a distinct feeling of dread rises in his gut as he stares at the pop-up, practically paralyzed by the simple thing before he closes the laptop, his voice broken when he speaks again~ Master, get up, come on, you have to have seen that.

MASTER:

~opens his eyes slightly, looking over at the Doctor for a brief moment before his eyes close again. Mentally he seems to really be trying his hardest to regain full control of his body, though something stops him and he’s unable to do so~

DOCTOR:

~goes up to and wraps his arms around the Master, letting a tear fall into the other Timelord’s bleach-blonde hair~ I’m not going far. I’ll be right back… ~backs off of the Master, practically sprinting out of the house, knowing he’s probably startling the TARDIS as he runs up to her and goes inside, yelling once he gets the door closed behind him~ Alright, bitch! I got your goddamned message, so if you’re the reason the Master’s unconscious, you can let him go.

GLaDOS:

* _There_ you are.* ~Her cold, robotic voice echoes slightly through the console room~

TARDIS:

~panics~

GLaDOS:

*Alright, alright. Shall we cut to the chase, Doctor?*

MASTER:

~seems to regain consciousness, gradually~

DOCTOR:

Please do. ~the sound of GLaDOS sickens him, but he keeps his raging emotions contained for the moment—though that doesn’t stop his utter despair from leaking through the link~

GLaDOS:

*I do hope you’ve enjoyed your time off. The both of you. Especially killing me; I bet you had a lot of fun with that. Pity I don’t remember being human.*

MASTER:

~becomes panicked, realizing Alia’s presence~

DOCTOR:

I assure you, I was brutal enough and I had more fun than anyone who’s sane would have… though you were lucky it was me and not the Master who wanted revenge; I tend to be much more merciful. ~he keeps a mostly steady tone but mentally he’s slowly falling apart under the weight of what’s really happening~

GLaDOS:

*Oh, that’s fine. I’m willing to put it all behind us. For science.* ~she speaks casually, giving a small pause as if in thought~ *So… you have a daughter now.*

DOCTOR:

~visibly grimaces at “for science”, a tear streaming down his face at the mention of Alia but he doesn’t say anything—he doesn’t have anything left to say~

GLaDOS:

*No comment? Alright then, as soon as you’re all aboard we can get back to work.*

DOCTOR:

I’ll… go get them, then. ~goes to leave the TARDIS and go into their house, failing to hold back tears as he enters the place he’s so recently learned to call home~

MASTER:

~comes up to the Doctor as soon as he enters the house, closely followed by Alia~ Doctor, hey, don’t… ~brings his hands to the Doctor’s shoulders, meeting his gaze in concern and despair~

DOCTOR:

She’s back, Master, She’s back and She doesn’t even remember being human—though of course she had Alia’s existence in Her records… ~brings a hand to his face to try and stop his crying, only getting a wet hand and more tears~ It’s all my goddamned fault, though, isn’t it? She’d still be human if it weren’t for me—but no, I just had to pull the trigger!

MASTER:

Sh, sh… ~steps closer, bringing both hands to the Doctor’s face to wipe away his tears, though he’s not completely calm himself. Holds back tears, smiling slightly~ it’s okay, Doctor. I forgive you.

DOCTOR:

Thank you… ~just stands there for a moment, trying to let the Master help him calm down before speaking again in a much more steady tone~ so… what do we do? I mean… as much as I hate doing what She wants, making Her impatient or angry isn’t going to help anything.

ALIA:

Daddy…? What’s going on? ~walks up to them hesitantly, distressed by all the crying going on~

MASTER:

~lets his hands drift down to rest about the Doctor’s neck, not speaking as Alia didn’t give him enough time to respond to the Doctor and he doesn’t know what to tell her~

DOCTOR:

~his gaze shifts to their daughter~ Alia… ~finds it near impossible to tell Alia what’s really going on, forcing a smile instead~ remember what I said before? About how I’ll make sure Father’s alright? And how I won’t let anyone hurt you? …Don’t forget about that. Your Daddy’s going to do what he can to keep everyone safe—and so is your Father.

ALIA:

~nods dutifully after a moment, still distressed but a little less than before~ okay. I won’t… I won’t forget.

MASTER:

~sighs lightly, giving the Doctor a brief, halfhearted kiss before stepping back and answering his previous question~ we can’t let Her get Alia. ~says it almost pleadingly~

DOCTOR:

Of course not. ~shakes his head, thinking for a moment before making his decision. Jots Torchwood’s number down on a post-it-note from his pocket, and hands it to the Master~ that’s Torchwood’s number, in case you ever need them…

MASTER:

~glances quickly down at the proffered note, then back at the Doctor in protest~ Doctor, what are you saying?

ALIA:

~tentatively steps over and peers at the piece of paper that the Master hasn’t taken yet~

DOCTOR:

~gives the Master a pleading look as he speaks~ I’m saying I made a mistake and I intend to try to fix it, but if it doesn’t go well I’m saying I want to know you two have somewhere to go and someone trustworthy to turn to when you need it.

MASTER:

~looks distressed, seeming to doubt anything involving Aperture will go well~ you said-… ~sighs as he changes his mind, finding a better argument~ She wouldn’t let us part ways anyway, would she?

DOCTOR:

I doubt she’d be happy with only two of us, if you want honesty, but I can’t get you thrown back into Aperture without trying to stop it from happening.

MASTER:

~hesitantly takes the sticky note from the Doctor, nodding~ okay. ~doubts the plan at first, but glances over at Alia and convinces himself that it’s a hell of a lot better than just going along compliantly~

DOCTOR:

~relaxes slightly at the Master’s compliance to his plan, hugging the Master briefly and ruffling Alia’s hair slightly before leaving the house to go back into the TARDIS, forcing a casual saunter as he goes to enter her console room and lock the door behind himself~

ALIA:

~tries to call after the Doctor but he leaves too quickly~

MASTER:

~mentally sends the Doctor a farewell~

TARDIS:

~at this point is uncomfortable at how long the Doctor’s taken, becoming confused when he walks in alone~

GLaDOS:

*Forget something?* ~She sounds annoyed~

DOCTOR:

Nope. ~smirks, though inwardly he’s terrified~ did you really think I would hand-deliver my family to the likes of you? Though I know you had a heart… You regretted everything, even got worried for little ol’ me.

GLaDOS:

*For a second there I actually _did_ think you were going to listen to me.* ~completely ignores the second part of the Doctor’s response, speaking in mockingly unenthusiastic monotone~ *Oh, no. There’s absolutely nothing I can do to make you reconsider.*

DOCTOR:

Isn’t one pure Timelord enough for you…? I _am_ literally a third of the Timelord population… I don’t care how much you put _me_ through. ~carefully protects his mental link with the Master~

GLaDOS:

*You may be mathematically correct, but you’re still just one. With such a small sample one can hardly call any gathered statistics accurate…* ~trails off, pausing for effect~ *Alright then, if you insist.*

ENVIRONMENT:

~the monitor on the console displays a new set of coordinates~ *Come on over.* ~sounds as if she’s speaking through a grin~

DOCTOR:

~grits his teeth, having known She would never let all three of them go and walking up to the monitor to check the coordinates—like he has much of a choice as to where he’s going—and sending the TARDIS into flight, having an argument for GLaDOS’ statement but not saying anything~

GLaDOS:

*So, you said you don’t care how much I put you through. Is that really true or were you just saying that in defense of the other two?* ~speaking casually as the TARDIS lands~

DOCTOR:

~winces slightly~ it’s true in the sense that I won’t be difficult or go against you as long as they’re safe. Of course I’m going to care to an extent about what you do to me—torture’s torture—but I won’t do anything about it. ~starts towards the doors~

ENVIRONMENT:

~GLaDOS has directed him to the last place the Doctor had Tav land; the lobby with the same man at the desk as before, most of the blood having been cleaned out of the carpet by now~

MAN:

~the front desk attendant looks up at the Doctor, recognizing him immediately and looking afraid~ Good m-morning, um, Doctor; we heard you were on your way…

DOCTOR:

I’m sure you did. ~closes the TARDIS door behind him, looking at the man at the desk with an angered yet deeply sorrowful expression~ and I’ve lost everything for what I did, so please don’t look at me like I’m some monster… even if I am one. I don’t have any interest in killing you.

MAN:

~relaxes slightly, swallowing and mustering a smile~ um, thanks… sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. ~looks thoughtful, then starts in realization, quickly getting to work on papers and the computer in front of him, making a beckoning gesture towards the Doctor~

~walks over to the man compliantly~ it’s fine. You have every reason to be afraid of me… ~looks at the papers and computer on the man’s desk when he walks up~

MAN:

~he shields the papers from the Doctor’s sight, glancing up at him and muttering apologetically~ sorry, confidential. ~puts the papers away and turns to the computer, which has a profile on the Doctor and planned experiments; he speaks as he scrolls through~ my name is Kevin, in case for some reason you wanted to know.

DOCTOR:

Alright, Kevin… ~tries to think of something casual to talk about, only able to think back to home~ so, have you any family, or friends? You don’t have to answer, of course…

KEVIN:

Y-yeah—but… ~answers easily, having to slow himself down to think about his response, smiling slightly~ a wife and two boys. ~loses his smile after a moment, lowering his voice a bit~ though right now I’m just as indefinitely stuck here as you are.

DOCTOR:

~nods, smiling a little~ I have a-… well, I suppose it’s safe to call him my husband. And we have a daughter—just recently got a house, too… I’m sure you know what I am, I mean there has to be a species in there, right?

KEVIN:

Yeah. Timelord? ~looks tense, while also a bit sad, realizing the conversation’s probably gone on longer than it should have and handing the Doctor a small keycard~ room 206, down that hall. ~gestures to the Doctor’s left, where the sliding door is~

DOCTOR:

Right. Thanks. I’ll see you later, maybe. ~takes the keycard, turning to walk through the doors and down the hall, trying to think of if he’s heard the number before~

KEVIN:

See you later. ~responds with a cheerfulness Kevin is proud he is able to achieve~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the door numbers start at 240 descending, and a few men and women in lab coats occasionally walk in and out of the rooms, or down the hall~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t try to talk or even acknowledge anyone as he walks down the hall, checking on the telepathic link as it’s his only way to communicate with the Master at the moment~

WOMAN:

~one woman gives the Doctor a subtle, sly smirk as she passes him~

MASTER:

~checks back almost immediately, confessing that he had no idea what he was thinking when he agreed to this—probably that it wouldn’t work—and that he’s already got himself worried sick about the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~responds with the fact that he’s fine at the moment and he’ll keep in touch as much as he can—though, of course, he’s not going to turn back now. Asks how Alia’s holding up, glad that he has a decent amount of time before he gets to room 206 at an ordinary walking pace~

MASTER:

~feels a twinge of emotional pain at the thought of not getting to see the Doctor again, at least not for a while, knowing all of the horrible things that could happen while he’s in Aperture~

ALIA:

~tries to reassure the Master, her physical contact allowing her to speak to the Doctor, asking where he’s gone, when he’s going to come back~

DOCTOR:

~his step falters when Alia makes contact with him, but he keeps walking as he answers her with “I’ve gone to keep you and your Father safe like I said I would… but I’m not sure when I’ll be back, so you have to help me take care of your Father, okay?”~

SCIENTIST:

~one of the other scientists pauses to look at the Doctor in brief concern, but the others don’t seem to care~

ALIA:

~dutifully accepts the responsibility, promising to take care of him as best she can~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at Alia’s response, informing the Master that he’s nearing what’s probably a test that he was directed to, doing so so that if he goes unconscious or blocks his thoughts they know why~

MASTER:

~the Doctor’s warning only makes his worry and distress increase~

ALIA:

~tries to comfort him~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor approaches room 206, a strong-looking, locked door with a slot under the handle for the keycard~

DOCTOR:

~assures the Master that he’ll be fine though the door alone intimidates him slightly. Inserts the keycard to go into the room, careful not to hesitate or seem like he regrets his decision~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the door accepts the card, opening to a room that the Doctor barely gets a glimpse of before he’s pulled inside, has his hands restrained behind his back and a blindfold tied over his eyes, by what feels like just two people working together~

DOCTOR:

~lets the unknown people restrain him without resistance~ so, do I get any context, or is this one of those tests that I get thrown into blind—literally and figuratively.

PEOPLE:

~once the Doctor’s wrists are tightly bound with rope the person behind him shoves him forward, speaking only briefly~ good luck. ~as they both leave the room, and the door swings shut with a click to indicate that it’s locked~

DOCTOR:

~stumbles forward when he’s shoved, catching himself and walking forward carefully, listening for mechanical movement and checking if he smells that acidic water~

ENVIRONMENT:

~now that it’s quieter the sound of metal grinding on metal can be heard in the distance, as well as the occasional quiet sound of a moving panel. As the Doctor walks a bit farther along, the ground beneath him feels more slick; the whole place reeks of chemicals, making it difficult to pick out other smells~

DOCTOR:

~wishes he could smell, carefully walking the progressively more dangerous-feeling floor and focusing in on the sounds of Aperture machinery to see if he can match it up with anything he already knows of—and to be sure it’s not nearby, waiting for something sudden to happen as he’s sure this isn’t going to be easy~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the other sounds are muffled, probably further off; a few very quiet mechanical movements in the right wall give a brief warning before the panel pushes outward, knocking into the Doctor and twirling around before settling back into place~

DOCTOR:

~gets knocked down by the panel, sliding slightly when he does, slowly managing to get back up, for once being glad he’s been made almost used to handcuffs from being taken prisoner and from the Master’s little games, smiling a little at the thought~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the sticky substance has gotten itself all down the Doctor’s side, making things more uncomfortable than they already are; as the Doctor walks the sound of the grinding becomes clearer, coming from the left but remaining stationary, probably about ten feet away~

DOCTOR:

~veers to the right as he walks, fully expecting to be moved towards the grinding noise and preparing himself to react accordingly~

ENVIRONMENT:

~as the grinding gets quieter behind the Doctor, panels shift around him and it becomes muffled again, only for the shrill voice of a turret to clearly reach the Doctor’s ears~

TURRET:

*Target, Acquried!*

DOCTOR:

~breaks into a careful run, the voice of the turret automatically causing him to panic as he hopes the turret’s poor accuracy keeps it from hitting him~

TURRET:

~the turret’s rapid fire makes up for its inaccuracy, hitting the Doctor once in his side before he manages to run out of the turret’s sight, speaking whimsically from further down the hall~ *Goodnight.*

DOCTOR:

~winces in pain, stopping and letting himself slide when he hears the turret stop attacking. Realizes he can’t do anything about the bullet in his side and resumes walking, feeling like he’s going through some ancient banishment ritual~

ENVIRONMENT:

~after a moment the Doctor runs face-first into a wall, though contact with the panel allows him to know that this particular one is vibrating for some reason~

DOCTOR:

Okay, now you’re just messing with me. ~slides his foot around in front of him, trying to find a way around the panel that only reminds him of the generator in Eaden when he tries to link its vibrating to something he’s seen before~

GLaDOS:

*I can’t help myself.* ~comments cheerfully~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the panel stops vibrating, then juts out and shoves the Doctor backwards~

DOCTOR:

~falls backwards, sliding a bit on the floor, his hands and wrists stinging from the impact~ is this a test or payback? ~it takes a bit of effort to roll over, his side stinging horribly as he brings his legs up under himself to stand~

GLaDOS:

*Well, it _was_ a test. You technically finished. Now it’s payback.*

ENVIRONMENT:

~the panel underneath the Doctor’s feet pushes upward at a slight angle, causing the Doctor to tumble over the edge of the raised platform instead of standing again~

DOCTOR:

~lays on his stomach in the revolting chemical, certain by now that whatever it is has gotten into his wound, not trying to stand up again~ alright… fair enough; I deserve it…

GLaDOS:

*Though… I suppose if the propulsion gel gets in your system and kills you it wouldn’t be worthwhile.*

ENVIRONMENT:

~the panel situates itself back into the floor and the one in the wall moves out of the way, light flooding into the hallway, followed by footsteps heading toward the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~brings his legs back under himself to stand, sarcasm dripping from his voice~ thanks for the consideration. ~stays faced away from the people, knowing they’ll direct him where She wants him if not remove his bindings~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a gloved hand takes hold of the Doctor’s arm, turning him around and leading him out of the hallway, the panel closing behind them, and continuing to lead the Doctor out of another keycard-door without bothering to take off his blindfold~

DOCTOR:

Hello, sir—or ma’am, sorry, I’d normally be able to tell. I could even tell by scent if that damned chemical wasn’t all over me. ~mentally tells the Master that he’s gone through the first test and fine, not mentioning anything that actually happened~

WOMAN:

We’re going to get you cleaned up. ~the voice is female, and she sounds friendly; they take a turn into another hallway and occasionally other footsteps pass by, one of the passerby giving an amused chuckle~

DOCTOR:

Thank you. ~sighs, knowing how purposeful every aspect of this is~ so, does everyone in this hellish place know me, or am I just a new test subject to you people? No, I’m sure word’s gotten around by now…

WOMAN:

Yeah. I’m almost certain everyone here knows who you are. ~she pauses in the conversation to make sure they’re going the right way, speaking after they get another passing chuckle~ I’d help you with the blindfold, but you can’t be getting any of the stuff in your eyes.

DOCTOR:

I have to be curious about how much you know… 900 years of time and space, you can’t possibly know everything—not even GLaDOS herself knows everything, and She’s taken my memory before.

WOMAN:

~she chuckles faintly at the Doctor’s expectations~ just the simple stuff. We’ve all seen your profile. ~comes to a stop, knocking on a door~ but She’s lost all the other test records; retrieving them is our next goal.

DOCTOR:

~chuckles, the gesture evolving into laughter before he stops with a smirk, not explaining himself right away~

WOMAN:

~sounds perplexed~ what? ~the door opens and she hesitantly leads the Doctor inside~

ENVIRONMENT:

~someone else starts unbinding his hands while yet another slides the Doctor’s trench coat off his shoulders and starts unbuttoning his suit jacket~

DOCTOR:

~feels around his wrists, finding rope burn as he suspected~ oh, it’s nothing… just the fact that she has, apparently, lost all of that data and doesn’t know where it is.

WOMAN:

~the Doctor’s trench coat and suit jacket are removed and placed aside as the woman responds~ oh no, she knows where it is. ~pauses, having been about to continue, but stops herself~

PEOPLE:

~one of the others helps with unbuttoning the Doctor’s shirt and the second washes the Doctor’s face with a warm, wet cloth, cleaning the gel away before taking off the blindfold~

DOCTOR:

~opens his eyes, adjusting to the light~ well, that’s interesting… in an awful way. How does she expect to retrieve them without me? I know exactly where they are… or was I included in “our”? Because I’m not used to that.

GLaDOS:

*You said you would be compliant, did you not? So if I need you to go fetch something, it should be no problem. Right?* ~she sounds almost teasing~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the rest of the people in the room immediately stop what they’re doing and listen intently to what she’s saying~

DOCTOR:

~glances down at his leash on the word “fetch”~ of course it’s not a problem. I was just a bit confused, sorry. ~hates his apology, knowing that the only way to keep his family safe is to stay compliant~

GLaDOS:

*Good. I’ll have you go as soon as you’re ready.*

PEOPLE:

~when the connection ends the others continue their work, cleaning the Doctor’s bullet wound with a fresh cloth and having the leash of the Doctor’s collar removed, as GLaDOS had it before~

DOCTOR:

~relaxes slightly when the connection ends even though he knows it doesn’t mean She isn’t watching—in fact, he’s almost certain that She is. Makes himself stay still as the unknown people go about their jobs, wondering how much worse their jobs—their lives—have gotten after Caroline’s death, if they did get worse~

WOMAN:

~the woman behind the Doctor washes something into his hair that clears away the gel without that much water involved~

MAN:

~the man working on the Doctor’s wound focuses on removing the bullet from his side~

ESCORT:

~the woman who had escorted the Doctor waits by the door to the room, avoiding looking at the Doctor or the people helping him~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room looks made for medical examinations~

DOCTOR:

~mentally informs the Master that he may be able to stop by the house soon, smiling slightly despite his overall situation~ thanks for this—I mean, I know you’re all just doing your job, but it’s better than having to try to treat myself—I _am_ what you might call an army doctor… though I do wish the army bit weren’t true.

WOMAN:

Oh, it really is no problem. ~the woman with her hands in the Doctor’s hair smiles mischievously as she responds, combing through his hair a little longer than necessary~

MAN:

~doesn’t respond, cleaning the Doctor’s wound again~

DOCTOR:

~pretends not to notice the woman’s behavior, just then remembering how human women tend to react to him—then there was Donna~

WOMAN:

~finishes and goes off to rifle through a cabinet~

MAN:

~removes the bandage on the Doctor’s shoulder from his other bullet wound and sets it aside, working on stitching together the more recent wound~

WOMAN:

~returns with a folded up orange jumpsuit in her hand, setting it beside the Doctor’s discarded clothes~

DOCTOR:

~grimaces slightly as the man stitches up his bullet wound, careful not to move~ so… names? I’m the Doctor, but you probably know that.

MAN:

~waits until he’s finished stitching to respond, speaking in an almost irritated, low British accent~ alright, if you insist… I am Dr. Holloway, and this is Ms. Davis. I have a feeling that you’ll be seeing us often. ~making a small gesture to the woman who was helping~

DOCTOR:

~is a little put off by Dr. Holloway’s irritated tone, not showing it as he figures it’s best to try to get along with everyone here~ yes, unfortunately, I’m certain I will—you seem like lovely people, I just assume you’re who I go to when I’m injured. Anyways, nice to meet you.

DR. HOLLOWAY:

Yes… ~trails off~

MS. DAVIS:

~goes to get the orange jumpsuit, smiling cheerfully as she presents it to the Doctor~ will you need any help getting changed, sir?

DOCTOR:

~smiles back as he answers~ I’m sure I can manage that. Thank you, though. ~takes and puts on the jumpsuit with quick ease, making it a point not to show pain when it comes from his newly stitched wound~

ESCORT:

~the woman who had escorted the Doctor here looks over at him when he finishes dressing, stepping away from the wall with a slight smile~ come with me, I’ll show you to the TARDIS. ~gestures for the Doctor to follow as she walks toward the door~

DOCTOR:

~nods, following the woman while waving briefly at Dr. Holloway and Ms. Davis in farewell, speaking once they’re out in the hall again~ I don’t believe I ever got _your_ name… if you don’t mind.

ESCORT:

You can call me Claire. ~closes the door, starting down the hallway to the right and walking through another sliding door, which leads to the main lobby again~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the TARDIS is still where she originally landed, except there are a few more people in the room now~

DOCTOR:

Well thank you, Claire. ~goes directly toward the TARDIS, greeting her when he reaches her doors and opens them, happy to be going home even if it’s for a brief period of time~

CLAIRE:

No problem. ~responds, giving a short wave~

TARDIS:

~is very happy to be in the Doctor’s company, knowing that it’s a rare occurrence while in Aperture~

DOCTOR:

~goes into the TARDIS, closing the door behind him and going to the console, his hand sliding along its rim as he goes to put the coordinates for home in, trying to sort out what he’ll say to Alia this time~

TARDIS:

~appreciates the gesture, asking how the Doctor’s doing with a more concerned than cheerful tone, and also inquiring about why GLaDOS is letting them visit the house~

DOCTOR:

~responds with the fact that he’s only been through one test—though GLaDOS wants payback that he’s sure She hasn’t fully fulfilled. States that he does have a bullet wound but it was cleaned and treated so he’s fine for now. Puts the TARDIS in flight~

TARDIS:

~accepts the Doctor’s explanation, expressing her worry for the Doctor though she knows there’s nothing she can really do to help. Lands smoothly~

DOCTOR:

~adds that She just wants the data, realizing he had forgotten to answer the second question. Walks to the TARDIS doors once they’ve landed, opening them~

ALIA:

~runs up to the Doctor as soon as the door opens~ Daddyyy! ~she collides with him in a hug~

MASTER:

~is just closing the door behind him before the sound of the TARDIS draws his attention, looking up at the Doctor in surprise; his nose is a little red~

DOCTOR:

~looks startled for a second before wrapping his arms around Alia, grinning happily~ Alia! ~moves out of the TARDIS, using his foot to close the door behind him~

MASTER:

~comes down the stairs and runs up to the Doctor, pushing the Doctor’s jaw to the right slightly and pulling him into an almost angry kiss; though he’s far from angry, just exceedingly glad that the Doctor is present. Brings an arm across the Doctor’s shoulders after a moment~

DOCTOR:

~kisses the Master back equally, having to hold back tears as he desperately wishes he wasn’t expected back soon—or ever, but that seems like pure fantasy. Makes himself memorize the Master’s touch, analyzing it so he can’t forget~

ALIA:

~steps back from the hug, looking up at her parents and sticking her tongue out slightly in disgust~ bleh.

MASTER:

~falters and reluctantly ends the kiss, purely in despair, having realized the Doctor’s only here because he was told to~

DOCTOR:

~looks back at the Master with a sad smile~ she just wants me to fetch the data for Her… I’m lucky we kept it here rather than throwing it in that black hole, eh?

MASTER:

~hangs his head a little and chuckles shakily, it sounding more like a sob after a moment~ y-yeah… I suppose so. ~a few tears slide down his face and he brings a hand up to wipe them away, looking up at the Doctor and running his other hand slowly through the Doctor’s hair~

DOCTOR:

~wraps his arms around the Master, his voice wavering as he speaks again, it taking all of his effort to not cry~ hey… at—at least I got to see you both again, right? I’m sure I’ll get to stop by again, too. ~that’s a lie and he knows it, wishing there was a way to form an attack on GLaDOS without putting everyone in danger~

MASTER:

~wraps his arms around the Doctor’s neck, leaning into the embrace and commenting halfheartedly~ bloody idiot. ~moves back, feeling gently along the Doctor’s cheekbones and the bridge of his nose where he’s got the beginnings of a few minor bruises, shaking his head and speaking softly~ you’d better get your arse right back here as soon as you can. Understand? ~composes himself, giving the Doctor an expectant, harsh look~

DOCTOR:

~this makes him smile, a tear falling from his face as he does so. Meets the Master’s gaze as he speaks~ yes, Master. ~almost as if it were a trained response~

MASTER:

Good. Now go on, you’ve got a job to do. ~steps aside and gestures to the house, having to fight to keep his voice steady and the act going at the same time~

DOCTOR:

~walks to the house compliantly, knowing the Master isn’t actually mad at him, looking at the number on the door a little bitterly as he opens it~

ALIA:

~hurriedly runs up the stairs to catch up with the Doctor, following him inside and asking in distress~ why can’t you stay, Daddy?

DOCTOR:

Because, Alia, your Daddy made a mistake and I have to make sure it doesn’t end up hurting you or your Father. ~goes to retrieve the bag with the data from the kitchen~

ALIA:

~stands back by the stairs as the Doctor gathers the satchel and the laptop~ but Father’s _really_ , really sad when you’re gone. ~pauses thoughtfully, taking an audible sniff~ … _you’re_ hurt…

DOCTOR:

I-I know… ~walks to the door, stopping to speak to Alia~ but it’s _my_ mistake, and seeing my mistake hurt you or your Father would hurt me more than any injury. ~he’s not entirely sure that’s true, given Her capabilities, but he doesn’t show it~

ALIA:

~looks up at the Doctor sadly, giving him another hug~ I’ll miss you.

MASTER:

~waits on the sidewalk, beckoning Alia over to his side when she lets go of the Doctor. He has the sticky note in his hand, holding it so the number is clearly visible to the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~starts toward the TARDIS, stopping once he gets to the sidewalk, confused by why the Master has the sticky note out now—maybe to tell him where they’re going. Looks at them both in response to Alia’s statement~ I’ll miss you too. ~carries the satchel to the TARDIS~

MASTER:

See you later, Theta. ~waves with a timid smile, taking Alia’s hand and pocketing the sticky note, leading her down the sidewalk with a brief glance back at the Doctor~


	4. Torture

DOCTOR:

~opens the door to the TARDIS once he reaches it, letting tears stream down his face as he closes it behind him~ well, I got the data. ~sets the satchel and laptop down on the bench, the Master’s last words ringing familiarly in his head—the same as those he said when the Master was “dying”~

GLaDOS:

*Wonderful. So did I; I hope you don’t mind. It’d be inconvenient if you want back on your promise of being compliant.*

TARDIS:

~comforts the Doctor, reminding him that she’s still here, and there’s always the Doctor’s telepathic connection with the Master~

DOCTOR:

Inconvenient as in… all of this was just to be sure I’d keep my promise? ~thanks the TARDIS, recollecting himself and wiping the tears from his face with his sleeve. Goes to the console and puts in the coordinates to the lobby in Aperture~

GLaDOS:

*Sort of. I meant it would be inconvenient if you stopped cooperating because I took a recording.*

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~puts the TARDIS into flight, flying her with little enough enthusiasm that he’s almost doing it properly. Wonders what his next test will be~

GLaDOS:

~makes no further comments~

TARDIS:

~lands, and someone opens the front door for the Doctor~

KEVIN:

~waves the Doctor over to the front desk with a cheerful smile~

DOCTOR:

~picks up the satchel and laptop, walking out the door and giving Kevin a smile in return as he sets the items on the desk~ these have all of the data She’s collected on the Master and I—though I’m sure you knew that already.

KEVIN:

~he nods, sliding the items towards himself~ thank you, it’s much appreciated. ~sets the satchel and the laptop aside, looking back at his computer to scroll through~ alright, next… ~stops suddenly, his eyes widening; glances over at the Doctor sympathetically before going to grab another keycard~

DOCTOR:

~swallows back fear, forcing a smile~ n-nothing but the worst for me, eh? Well, that’s alright. Can’t exactly blame Her, can I?

KEVIN:

~hesitantly pushes the keycard across the desk, unable to smile back even if it’s forced~ none of us can, really. At least not outright… ~goes over to a phone on his desk, picking it up and speaking to the Doctor before he dials~ stay here, you’ll need an escort.

DOCTOR:

~looks down at his feet, letting his smile fade away~ I am sorry… I was honestly trying to stop this from ever happening again—the whole GLaDOS thing, that is. I wasn’t in my right mind when I came here and Aperture had become a threat to my family’s safety again…

KEVIN:

~speaks softly into the phone, occasionally glancing over at the Doctor to indicate that he’s listening to what he’s saying as well, setting the phone back down before resituating himself to face the Doctor~ oh, that? It was… it was our own fault, honestly. We knew Caroline had her intelligence on a disk at one point, all it took was a bit of connecting-the-dots to find it and restore the mainframe… they didn’t read up on what she was like as an AI, though… ~grimaces slightly, shaking his head~ I should be the one apologizing, on behalf of everyone here.

DOCTOR:

~is visibly surprised for a second before shaking his head~ let’s just say we all fucked up… instead of letting me turn my anger to someone I can actually fight. I couldn’t get too mad a Missy even if I tried…

KEVIN:

~nods slightly, glancing to the right side of the room, where an elevator slides up in its shaft~

CLAIRE:

~the elevator opens as Claire steps out and waves to the Doctor~ hello there, seems I’m escorting you again.

KEVIN:

~looks up at the Doctor in pity again, wincing slightly~ best of luck, Doctor.

DOCTOR:

Thanks, I get the feeling I’ll be needing it. ~waves briefly to Kevin and picks up the keycard, starting towards Claire~ that it does.

CLAIRE:

This way. ~gestures for him to follow, walking back into the decently sized elevator and holding the door open for the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~follows her in, leaning against the elevator’s back wall almost casually~ ah, the elevators of Aperture—might as well have a wonka-vator, these things can take you throughout the whole place anyway as long as you know where you’re going.

CLAIRE:

Not… really, they just go up and down. We’ll have to transfer to another once we get to the lower levels. ~brings her hand inside as the doors close, and the elevator starts moving downward on its own~

DOCTOR:

Yes, but my point is that anyone can get anywhere in this place without much trouble if they know where they’re going and there are quite a few elevators involved.

CLAIRE:

There are a few places that we aren’t allowed to go, though. And most of the elevators are under Her control anyway, so even if we wanted to… ~trails off, folding her hands in front of her and looking at the floor as the elevator continues to descend~

DOCTOR:

You wouldn’t be able to use them against Her will—trust me, I’m familiar with the situation. ~thinks about how they had hacked an elevator, reminding himself of his promise he made to GLaDOS~

CLAIRE:

~looks up at the Doctor, shaking her head~ I’m not saying I would want to.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator slides to a stop eventually, the doors opening to a much darker, unkempt-looking area similar to that of the lobby, except the lights are flickering and it’s deserted~

DOCTOR:

So what’s this? Intensive testing? ~remembers the last intensive care unit he had been in—back in New New York—finding the comparison fitting enough~

CLAIRE:

No, it’s abandoned. ~walks out of the elevator, finding another light switch to turn on another grouping of lights that are brighter than the others, illuminating the room better to reveal a few doors on the back wall, and another elevator~

DOCTOR:

~starts toward the newly visible back wall as he assumes that’s where they’re going~ I didn’t actually think there was an intensive testing unit. It’s testing, it’s all intensive.

CLAIRE:

Exactly. ~heads toward the elevator, checking its stability before gesturing for the Doctor to go inside, while remaining outside of it herself~ though, what you’re doing next… ~averts her gaze, giving the ground a sympathetic look~ it could hardly be called a test.

DOCTOR:

Wow, I really pissed Her off this time, didn’t I? ~walks into the elevator a little hesitantly, waving to Claire slightly with the assumption that this is where they part ways~

CLAIRE:

~meets the Doctor’s gaze and waves back as the doors close and the elevator starts continuing downward~

GLaDOS:

~when Claire is out of sight, she speaks smugly~ *I’m going to have a _lot_ of fun, Doctor.*

DOCTOR:

Sounds like it. ~swallows his far as it becomes prominent again, knowing it’s not going to help him as he stares at the doors, waiting for whatever tortures She has planned~

GLaDOS:

*See you at the bottom.* ~her connection cuts out~

ENVIRONMENT:

~after a moment of nothing, the floor of the elevator falls open, sending the Doctor tumbling down the dark shaft~

DOCTOR:

~yells in panic, trying to grab something to stop his fall automatically though he fails to find more than the wall of the shaft as he falls helplessly, only hoping he doesn’t break any bones upon landing~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the floor comes up somewhat sooner than expected, consisting of hard, solid panel that the Doctor lands on with a painful thud, the impact sending a shockwave through his body and nearly knocking him unconscious~

GLaDOS:

~speaks again after a moment, her voice sounding a little far off in the darkness~ *You might want to crawl out from under there, unless you enjoy being crushed by descending elevators.*

DOCTOR:

~it takes him a moment to even process what’s going on, unable to breathe and certain he broke something in his leg, forcing himself to get out of the way of the elevator with a great amount of effort. It’s another moment until he can breathe, if shallowly~

ELEVATOR:

~clatters loudly against the floor as it comes down, the opened bottom being forced back into place~

GLaDOS:

*Now, to get rid of your pesky blockades.*

MENTAL:

~something in the room is apparently able to use telepathy, because it reaches out to the Doctor and forces his connection with the Master completely open~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen as he knows this means the Master can tell exactly what’s going on and exactly how much it hurts, giving a weak hello over the link and pleading aloud in an equally pitiful tone~ n-no, please…

GLaDOS:

*Is there a problem?*

MASTER:

~is thoroughly distressed, asking what’s going on in a bit of a panic, reasoning the Doctor wouldn’t willingly do this to him—or at least hoping that he wouldn’t~

DOCTOR:

~swallows, speaking carefully and hesitantly~ I-I said that I didn’t care what you do to _me…_ This-… this doesn’t affect just me… ~mentally explains that GLaDOS forced the link open~

GLaDOS:

*Of course, of course… it’s not like other people were affected by you going solo in the first place.* ~her tone is blatantly sarcastic~

ENVIRONMENT:

~something frighteningly familiar slithers closer in the darkness~

DOCTOR:

~a tear rolls down his face as he frantically gets up, the action causing a spark of pain throughout his body. Looks in the direction of the slithering, mentally apologizing to the Master~

MASTER:

~weakly tells the Doctor that he doesn’t have to apologize, because it wasn’t his fault~

CORD:

~a cord approaches the Doctor, coiling up his injured leg and wrenching it around violently~

DOCTOR:

~yelps in pain, gritting his teeth against it, making himself stay standing as falling again would just hurt more, knowing there might be one way to stop the Master from having to go through all of this but hating to thought of it being irreversible, presenting the option of severing the connection to the Master though the thought alone makes him want to cry~

MASTER:

~strongly protests the option, arguing that severing the connection would mean being completely separated from each other, indefinitely; insists that he’ll make it through~

CORDS:

~other cords wrap around the Doctor, faintly warm to the touch~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t even try to get the cords off of himself, knowing what warms cords means for him and wincing in anticipation, accepting the Master’s decision~

CORDS:

~continue to heat up~

MASTER:

~does his best to keep his feelings on the situation from the Doctor~

CORDS:

~the wires reach painful temperatures, searing his skin and moving up towards his face. The one around the Doctor’s leg tightens its hold, twisting the injury further~

DOCTOR:

~whimpers softly, biting his lip to stifle the noise. His hands work at the wire around his leg though he knows it’s a vain attempt, trying to distract his mind for the Master though that is near impossible with searing pain spreading throughout his body~

CORDS:

~the wire loosens slightly as the others burn into the Doctor’s cheeks and neck; the cords all suddenly leave after a moment~

CLAW:

~a mechanical claw closes around the Doctor’s waist, lifting him off the ground~

GLaDOS:

*Oh dear. By the time I’m through with you, it seems you’ll need a few weeks, at least, to recover… It’s too bad I’m not feeling that nice.

DOCTOR:

~lets his body go limp in the claw, panting lightly and letting GLaDOS taunt him before weakly spitting out one word~ bitch.

GLaDOS:

*Go ahead, stoop to name-calling if it makes you feel better. You should know by now that it doesn’t affect me.*

CLAW:

~constricts around the Doctor’s waist, making his ribs ache against the strain limiting his breathing~

DOCTOR:

If you don’t care… why have you consistently acted… as though I shouldn’t do it? ~speaks in-between breaths~ it seems like… it annoys you… quite a bit… if you ask me.

GLaDOS:

*However, I was not, in fact, asking you.*

CLAW:

~tightens another few notches, followed by a sickening crunch of bone~

DOCTOR:

~lets out a choked, high-pitched noise of pain, realizing he’s shaking by now, letting a tear fall from his face as he just tries to breathe~

CLAW:

~before the Doctor can get to the point of passing out from lack of oxygen, the claw swings up and lets go as it comes back down, throwing the Doctor to the floor~

MASTER:

~is unable to hold back a twinge of despair at all of this~

DOCTOR:

~he would have probably made some sort of noise upon hitting the floor if he could, whimpering once he can breathe though his ability to do so is limited. Can’t bring himself to even try to get up, trying to reassure the Master that he’ll be alright despite his current situation~

GLaDOS:

*I suppose that’s enough for now.*

ENVIRONMENT:

~after a moment the air begins to smell of neurotoxin, getting into the Doctor’s system and only intensifying the pain he’s already feeling~

DOCTOR:

~curls in pain at first though he quickly stops as movement’s agonizing as well, welcoming the unconsciousness that comes too slowly for his liking~

~•~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when the Doctor slowly regains consciousness again, he’s met with the disorienting brightness of another room, a semi-comfortable mattress underneath of him and a sudden reminder of crippling pain almost throughout his whole body~

DOCTOR:

~groans softly in pain and also to see who’s nearby~ where’s- ~his strained, raspy voice cuts off when he realizes what his automatic question was; checking the mental link~

MASTER:

~checks back, worriedly asking how the Doctor’s doing~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~his voice comes from somewhere else in the room~ so, you’re awake. ~he walks over to the side of the Doctor’s bed, a few tools in his hand~ my apologies, I was ordered not to treat you until you were conscious.

DOCTOR:

It’s fine. ~responds that he’s fine and GLaDOS doesn’t intend to make him walk about with broken bones, replacing his blockades so the Master can’t sense more than the conversation, leaving out the fact that he’s about to be operated on while conscious~

MASTER:

~feels minorly relieved that the Doctor’s being helped~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~pulls on a pair of gloves, setting the tools on a side table and gently adjusting the Doctor’s position on the bed. Goes to another cabinet and withdraws leather restraints, returning to the bed and starting to bind the Doctor’s wrists and ankles to the corners of the bed~ personally I’d much rather have you put under anesthesia, it would make it a lot easier to do my job. ~looks and sounds annoyed~

DOCTOR:

~his tone is bitterly sarcastic as he states~ yes, because this was all my idea and whining about it to me is going to make it all better. ~rolls his eyes~ don’t worry, I tend to be pretty still when movement causes excruciating pain—I’ll even shut up for you.

  1. HOLLOWAY:



I’m not holding _you_ responsible. ~gives a brief, irritated upward glance after his statement, walking to the Doctor’s injured leg—his left—and hiking up the pant leg so he can get a clear look at the injury. Finds that the fracture didn’t break the skin, retrieving a device that he hovers over the length of the Doctor’s tibia, probably a scanner of some sort~

DOCTOR:

Well, it’s clear that neither of us really wants to be her- ~decides not to finish his statement, asking the Master how Alia and him are holding up along with how Jack is~

DR. HOLOWAY:

~pauses to look up at the Doctor~ pardon?

MASTER:

~replies a little unsteadily that Jack seems better now than they last saw him, if not ready for a one-man war against Aperture, while he only hopes Alia is okay since both her parents are unable to really be there for her, in one way or another~

DOCTOR:

Hm? Here, I meant. Sorry, I got distracted… ~mentally acknowledges the Master’s reply, stating “well that’s relatively okay, but how are _you_ holding up?”, looking a little worried~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

It might be best for you to stay that way. ~sets the device on the bed, retrieving a few other tools before starting with a fine slice down a specific section of the Doctor’s leg~

MASTER:

~hesitates, debating with himself and seeming a bit scattered before deciding on sending the Doctor a mental image, one that pictures the inside of a Torchwood holding cell~

DOCTOR:

~grimaces, accidentally speaking aloud~ goddamnit, Master… ~realizing what he did after a moment and just shaking his head slightly, telling the Master that he’ll be there the second he can be—even if She breaks every bone in his body~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~glances up but takes the Doctor’s head shake as a dismissal of his statement, continuing work on sanitizing the wound and reaching in with fine tools to find the fractured bone~

MASTER:

~finds himself substantially reassured by the Doctor’s statement~

DOCTOR:

~smiles faintly though pain blurs his vision as Dr. Holloway works on his leg, just glad that he managed to reassure the Master, deciding there’s one way to get through all this and that’s to act like his old self~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~reaches the most painful part of the process—reorienting the bone—which is thankfully the smaller of the two and only requires minor changes. After doing something to secure it there he removes the tools and starts sewing up the wound, pausing briefly to glance over at the Doctor with faint concern~

DOCTOR:

~bites his lip to stop himself from being audibly in pain, though that effort becomes pointless when he speaks as his voice is laden with pain~ you know… in the long run… I’m a pretty lucky man.

DR. HOLLOWAY:

Oh? ~raises an eyebrow at the Doctor as he finishes, tying off the sewn-up wound and grabbing a wet cloth to clean the blood away with~

DOCTOR:

Yeah, I mean… between you, me, and the security cameras; I’m lucky I’m not the last Timelord, I’m lucky I’m telepathic and therefore can contact my family from here—that’s why I was smiling, by the way. I’m lucky I’m here alone… ~starts sounding more like he’s trying to convince himself~ I mean, this might be Hell, the Master might be falling apart, my daughter might be being raised without her family, and my best friend might be set on revenge, but I try to look on the bright side of all this.

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~sighs lightly after listening to the Doctor’s spiel, retrieving a stiff bandaging material to secure around the Doctor’s leg over the part he stitched~ hold on to that, it’s a blessing. ~pauses for a moment as he focuses on the bandage~ though, I am curious; what about being alone means you’re lucky?

DOCTOR:

Because it means the Master and Alia—my family—aren’t going through what I am right now and that I managed to keep them relatively safe.

DR. HOLLOWAY:

You know-… ~stops himself, shaking his head sadly and walking around to the Doctor’s right side, changing his gloves before unzipping the Doctor’s jumpsuit, seeing the minor burns on his chest and more serious ones on his neck and face~ …would you like something for the burns?

DOCTOR:

~looks surprised at the question~ um, yeah, that would be nice… I’m just surprised that She’d allow it. ~glances up slightly, part of him expecting some sarcastic remark from her to come through~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

She probably wouldn’t. ~replies with a small determined scowl, subtly retrieving a syringe and a bottle of some kind of liquid~ I came here to help people. I’m not going to stop doing that just because of a change in power or tedious consequences.

DOCTOR:

~smiles at that, thinking maybe he can arrange his escape yet and help these people, too; that is what he’d do in any other circumstance, after all~ I was wrong about you, Dr. Holloway, you’re a good man.

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~smiles slightly, though he gets rid of it after a moment~ it’s fine, I generally give that impression. ~opens the Doctor’s jumpsuit further, spreading some of the cold liquid gently onto the places he’s gotten burned while observing the severity of his other broken bone~

DOCTOR:

~relaxes slightly when the cool substance is spread onto his burns, wondering what Dr. Holloway will make of the bone he heard crush as he’s pretty sure that human technology can’t fix it fully though he could be wrong as this is Aperture~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~sets the bottle and the syringe down, taking another scan of the Doctor’s side and grimacing at the device~ as I suspected… ~sets that down too, picking up the needle and turning his back to the camera in the room as he injects something into the area around the injury, which gradually numbs the pain there to almost nothing~

DOCTOR:

~tenses a little at first, relaxing back again once he realizes what happened but not saying anything, just giving Dr. Holloway a grateful look before grimacing at his own statement as if nothing happened~ yeah, I could hear that one.

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~nods slightly before going to change his gloves again and clean his tools, returning to the Doctor’s side and slicing part of him open, though this time it’s must less painful as he feels around inside to find the broken half of the Doctor’s rib~

DOCTOR:

~is more discomforted than anything at the moment though things still hurt, hoping nothing horrible happens to Dr. Holloway for this~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~uses his tools to gently remove the section of the Doctor’s rib, which had snapped clean off, and set it on a counter nearby. Checks for other bone fragments before closing up the wound with stitches~

GLaDOS:

*Hello, doctors.* ~comments cheerfully~ *I couldn’t help but notice some suspicious activity.*

DOCTOR:

~makes sure he sounds like he’s in some sort of pain as he responds~ I only see a man doing his job, so do kindly fuck off.

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~looks over at the Doctor in surprise at his language~

GLaDOS:

*You could be seeing anything, considering your current state. And whatever Dr. Holloway injected you with.*

DOCTOR:

I suppose nothing I say in this situation matters, then. ~looks to Dr. Holloway~ I apologize for my language, She’s long lost any respect I had for Her…

Dr. HOLLOWAY:

~nods slightly in understanding, pausing for a moment as he diligently finishes the stitches and cleans the blood away before even looking up to acknowledge GLaDOS, speaking cooly~ Yes, I did go against your orders. ~adjusts his spectacles~ though I fail to see what you can do about it. I am this facility’s only surgeon, and hurting me in any way will hinder my ability to tend to my patients. To my understanding, this will further delay efficiency in the completion of your prosperous tests; correct?

DOCTOR:

~grimaces at Dr. Holloway’s claim, knowing that the surgeon is more expendable to GLaDOS than he thinks but not daring to say so, just muttering something incoherently under his breath~

GLaDOS:

~there’s a substantial pause before she finally responds~ *You’d best tread carefully, doctor.* ~not specifying which one of them she was talking to as her connection ends~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~looks back down at the Doctor, feeling gently across his waist and occasionally applying pressure~

DOCTOR:

~sighs in relief, letting Dr. Holloway go about his job, not verbally responding to GLaDOS as he knows the warning probably goes for both of them~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~seems to finish up, removing his gloves and feeling around the Doctor’s joints to check for other possible injuries~ is there anything else you require treatment for?

DOCTOR:

No… thank you. ~looks at Dr. Holloway as he speaks, a faint smile playing across his face though he doesn’t add anything to his statement~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

There’s no need to thank me. ~zips the Doctor’s jumpsuit back up, stepping away from the bed and retrieving the piece of bone he removed, taking it to another corner of the room with his back turned to the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~glances briefly at his bindings, not truly minding them~ but there is. You could have died. Aperture didn’t have a doctor—let alone a surgeon—last time I was here… other than me, I suppose, but I’m a test subject.

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~returns to the Doctor’s general area, sitting in a chair by the wall to the Doctor’s left~ that is true. But I am still a valuable addition to the staff; from Her perspective, keeping test subjects alive does have _some_ priority.

DOCTOR:

~chuckles, grimacing as the action hurts~ yeah; She can’t get another Timelord easily, either. My family is the last three Timelords in existence—though that _is_ at least partially my fault.

DR. HOLLOWAY:

I know. ~looks at the Doctor in concern~ do be careful though, I don’t want you hurting yourself more.

DOCTOR:

This was not my clumsiness, nor was it an accident, I’m afraid. I didn’t hurt myself; GLaDOS is a sadist with a thirst for revenge.

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~chuckles a little despite himself~ well of course; I would’ve been surprised if you had managed to do all this on your own. No, I was just recommending you take it easy. ~stands up, pausing at the foot of the bed on his way out~ try to get some rest, while you have the time.

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly, suppressing a shudder at the way Dr. Holloway made it all sound, more than grateful for the doctor’s help and not looking forward to whenever his side decides to stop feeling numb. Checks in with the Master, giving a recount of what happened as he can’t get up and do anything nor is he really tired~

MASTER:

~seems grateful for the Doctor’s company, taking a moment to make sure he can maintain a stable state of mind before numbly asking the Doctor if he actually meant what he had said earlier, about coming back as soon as possible~

DOCTOR:

~responds strongly in the positive, though he is extremely stuck at the moment, knowing how hard it’s going to be to get back out but being more than up to the challenge~

MASTER:

~his mood is just slightly lifted by the Doctor’s reassurance, seeming to remain mostly unemotional and callous. Searches for something to talk about, giving up in easy defeat after a moment and halfheartedly telling the Doctor that he misses him~

DOCTOR:

~swallows back his own emotions, though he can’t stop a bit of it from coming through with the fact that he hasn’t seen the Master like this since they were both in Aperture and the Master was torn between him and science as he gives an “I miss you too”~

MASTER:

~absently asks, “Is something bothering you, Doctor?”, speaking his response aloud as well, though as time goes on it gets harder and harder for him to seem like he actually cares~

DOCTOR:

~replies with, “just keep yourself together until I get back… please…” starting to tear up and move against his bindings with his hands~

MASTER:

~can’t help but enjoy the Doctor’s pleading a little, knowing that he’s currently bound to a bed and it amuses him even though they’re nowhere near close proximity to each other. “Alright, just for you…” responds after a moment, trailing off into a quiet whimsical tune, “Doctor be nimble, Doctor be quick…. Doctor jump over the candlestick…”~

DOCTOR:

~decides to try to get some sort of sleep, finding the Master’s chaotic mind far from comforting. Manages to fall into a restless sleep after a bit despite his numerous discomforts~

MASTER:

~is distressed when the Doctor goes to sleep as it means he’s alone again, though he backs off out of respect for the Doctor’s decision~

~•~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~wakes the Doctor again as he works on removing his restraints~

DOCTOR:

Hm…? ~looks to Dr. Holloway groggily, slowly recollecting everything that happened as pain becomes thoroughly evident from his wounds~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

Hello. Sleep well? ~speaks without making eye contact as he unlatches the leather around the Doctor’s wrists first~

DOCTOR:

Honestly? No. But any sleep’s better than no sleep, especially while I’m down here. ~brings his arms to himself as they’re released~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

Indeed. ~moves to unlatch the ones around the Doctor’s ankles, advising insistently~ if at all possible, please avoid putting weight on your leg.

DOCTOR:

I’ll try my best… is there another “test” waiting for me, or am I actually being allowed time to heal? ~sounds almost sarcastic, checking in with the Master as he doesn’t know how long he’s been asleep~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~smiles more cheerfully than the Doctor’s seen him smile this whole time~ you’ll have plenty of time. ~turns to the door at the end of the room~

CLAIRE:

~Claire is waiting there, giving the Doctor a small wave~ we’ll be heading to the TARDIS again as soon as you’re ready.

DOCTOR:

~this catches the Doctor’s attention immediately, his eyes wide in disbelief as he tries to keep himself from getting too hopeful~ I _will_ have plenty of time? She’s letting me fly the TARDIS?

CLAIRE:

~gives a sympathetic look, realizing what the statement sounded like it was implying~ well… not exactly.

DOCTOR:

Oh… ~can’t help but look a bit crestfallen, shaking his head slightly before looking back to Claire with a small, forced smile that wouldn’t fool a 5-year-old~ well, I still shouldn’t keep her waiting; she’s my family too, after all—though not genetically, of course. ~brings himself to sit up on the edge of the bed, wondering how Dr. Holloway expects him to walk but stay off of his leg~

CLAIRE:

~comes over to the bed~ need help with walking? ~offers her hand~

DR. HOLLOWAY:

~nods to them, leaving the room~

DOCTOR:

~hesitates a little before taking Claire’s hand and standing, trying to act as if it’s not a necessity though it really is as any pressure put in his leg hurts like hell~ thanks…

CLAIRE:

No problem. ~brings the Doctor’s hand across her shoulders so he has better leverage, starting to help guide him to the exit~

DOCTOR:

~limps alongside Claire, using her assistance as little as he can without hurting himself~ you’re all so much more kind than I expected… I guess I forgot why I like humans so much.

CLAIRE:

~leads the Doctor into the hallway~ not everyone here is nice. You can’t exactly be a kind person if you’re helping run the tests… I mean, you can, but it certainly doesn’t help you keep the position.

DOCTOR:

I got that idea from the unsympathetic chuckles I get when I walk down corridors here—still, even GLaDOS has a heart… not literally, but… ~shakes his head~ sorry, you shouldn’t have to listen to the rambling of some old man.

CLAIRE:

I don’t really mind. ~smiles slightly as they gradually make their way down the hallway, stopping in front of a door labeled “Storage” with the number 24 underneath of it. Gets a key out of her pocket and uses it to open the door, heading into the spacious room where the Doctor’s TARDIS and Tav are situated side by side~

DOCTOR:

~automatically starts toward his TARDIS, though he looks at Tav sadly, muttering quietly~ I’m so sorry… ~shaking his head before turning his attention back to his TARDIS~

CLAIRE:

~changes direction to follow along with the Doctor, although she had intended to close the door to the room first~ you can go ahead and wait in the console room for a moment. ~accompanies him up to the doors, leaving to go back to the entrance once he’s able to use the TARDIS as leverage~

DOCTOR:

I can get around the TARDIS… ~opens the door, limping into the TARDIS while holding on to the door and the railing, leaving the door open as he finds Claire kind enough to let in, mentally greeting the TARDIS~

TARDIS:

~welcomes the Doctor in return, noticing his injuries and remaining concerned but also hopeful, asking if they’re being allowed to travel somewhere~

CLAIRE:

~comes back, looking around the console room with a slight smile before turning her attention back to the Doctor, gesturing for him to follow~ we’re here to use the zero room; nothing more. ~her tone carries sorrow~

DOCTOR:

I suppose it’s better not to ask what happens if I fly away instead, but do you even know where the zero room is? ~responds mentally in the negative though he figures she could hear that much~

CLAIRE:

~nods, walking at a slow pace towards the hallway~ of course. Do you need help again? ~pauses and glances back at the Doctor~

TARDIS:

~stirs in disappointment~

DOCTOR:

You know, that’s an odd thing to say about a TARDIS… ~limps to Claire, making it clear he doesn’t want assistance though he doesn’t stray far from railings and walls~ because she could change where the zero room is on whim or get us purposefuly lost in an instant.

CLAIRE:

~continues down the hallway to the right, keeping a steady pace with the Doctor~ I know. And I hate to say it, but there are consequenes set in place… besides, would she want to keep you from being healed?

DOCTOR:

~swallows, remembering the feeling of the TARDIS’ near-death and not even trying to suppress a visible reaction~ never. In fact, she’s the one who scolds me when I get myself hurt doing something stupid—well, her and the Master, but he’s a whole different story.

CLAIRE:

~doesn’t respond for a moment, figuring that there’s no point in not asking since they’ve got a while to go~ how so?

DOCTOR:

The TARDIS is the only one I can truly count on… she never leaves, never steers me wrong, and is always a great comfort… ~smiles a little~ the Master, on the other hand, is an absolute loose cannon—and probably clinically insane.

CLAIRE:

~looks a little taken aback, confused as to why the Doctor smiles at that statement, but smiling back anyway~ that certainly is a different story. ~turns into another hallway to the left~

DOCTOR:

~follows easily~ yeah… they’re both family, though. Jack, Alia, and them are really all I have—though there are more than a handful of people who’d protest the statement.

CLAIRE:

That’s good, though… it means you’ve got plenty of people who care for you. ~slows her walk slightly, looking around to keep track of the doors they’ve passed~

DOCTOR:

And that I have plenty that I’m going to lose no matter what I do: I’ve been alive for over nine-hundred years and I’m pretty much a teenager or maybe a young adult when you put a Timelord’s lifespan relative to a human’s. All of my friends—minus Jack—will die before me… ~looks to Claire~ but what about you? You have to have someone, right?

CLAIRE:

~comes to a stop in front of a door on the right side of the hallway, opening it to a white, featureless room~ looks like we’re here.

 


	5. The Bargain

DOCTOR:

That it does. ~limps into the room, making himself levitate when he gets into the room as it’s less painful than standing and lets him show off a bit, laying down on nothingness to let the room heal him~

CLAIRE:

~smiles slightly at the Doctor’s display, remaining by the doorway and not entering the room~ I’ll wait outside until you finish.

ENVIRONMENT:

~as Claire closes the door the regenerative particles that take residence in the room get to work on mending the Doctor’s wounds~

DOCTOR:

~once he feels mostly healed he realizes he still has stitches weaved through his skin where the injuries were, wondering if that was purposeful as he knows it will be painful to get them out by now, bringing his hands into his jumpsuit and decidedly working to remove his own stitches~

GLaDOS:

*This room looks extremely useful. Does it just work for Timelords?*

DOCTOR:

~looks actually interested in the question~ I’m not sure… it’s 100% Timelord technology, that’s certain, and one’s never been used for another species—not even by me, and I’ve broken pretty much every rule in the book!

GLaDOS:

*Hmm. Interesting… I suppose I can test it out. If it works for humans as well, perhaps there will be no need for a surgical doctor anymore.*

DOCTOR:

~winces at that, acting like his discomfort is caused by him undoing his stitches~ as a fair warning, if this is designed solely for Timelords—and, considering the war, that wouldn’t be surprising—there is a very high probability that anyone you throw in here will die as the regenerative particles may try to restore their second heart or artron energy, both being things that humans aren’t meant to contain.

GLaDOS:

*I am well aware of that. Did you think I would’ve actually cared?* ~pauses, continuing slyly~ *Oh, here’s an idea. I know how much you want to pay another visit back to your family, right?*

DOCTOR:

I’m listening… ~already feels guilty for taking the bait, finishing with all of his stitches and pulling his arms back into their sleeves, dropping the strings~

GLaDOS:

*Let’s say I give you… six hours. At least.* ~gives another pause, to let the offer sink in~ *If you help me make that escort of yours the first subject to test out the zero room.*

DOCTOR:

~stands normally now, staring at the ground~ so you just want me to bring her into the room and close the door behind me when I leave… ~glances upward for confirmation~

GLaDOS:

*Exactly. Nothing more. And then you can head right back to the Master and your daughter.*

DOCTOR:

~walks to the door, knowing he’s going to do it as he opens the door, giving Claire an innocent smile~ this is much better! Hey, come in, I want to show you something!

CLAIRE:

~looks at the Doctor in surprise, smiling after a moment and walking away from the wall she was leaning on~ I’m glad you’re feeling better. ~comes up to the door, peering inside curiously~ what is it?

DOCTOR:

Come in, the zero room’s designed to heal, it’s not going to hurt you. ~steps aside so Claire can get in, feeling like the worst person possible~

CLAIRE:

Alright. ~walks in, looking around for what the Doctor wanted to show her~ I still don’t see what’s so remarkable about it-

DOCTOR:

~look at Claire, tears welling up in his eyes as he answers in a broken voice~ I’m so sorry… ~runs out of the door, closing it behind him and hoping the zero room doesn’t kill Claire as well as hoping not to have to face Claire again after this, sprinting down the hall as if to outrun his guilt, almost forgetting to turn but doing so where it’s necessary~

TARDIS:

~seems shocked that the Doctor would do that, especially considering GLaDOS wasn’t always one to keep her word~

GLaDOS:

*Good, Doctor.*

DOCTOR:

Just let me go home. ~puts in coordinates for Torchwood on the console when he reaches it, hoping with every fiber of his being that GLaDOS will let him go~ I know my time limit.

GLaDOS:

*Alright, then. See you in six hours.*

TARDIS:

~feels minor relief, forgiving the Doctor for his actions as GLaDOS’ offer was one difficult to turn down~

DOCTOR:

~puts the TARDIS into flight, speaking mostly to himself~ I promised I’d be back the second I could. ~flies the TARDIS without his usual flamboyance~

TARDIS:

~lands~

MASTER:

~his telepathic presence seems much, much closer, though the Master himself doesn’t notice as he’s preoccupied with wildly changing emotions~

DOCTOR:

~goes to the doors as soon as she lands, not wanting to waste a second as he opens the doors and steps out of the TARDIS~

ENVIRONMENT:

~Torchwood HQ is dark, and neither Alia nor the Master are in the room~

JACK:

~is slumped in a chair by one of the computers, asleep~

DOCTOR:

~feels bad for having to wake Jack up, not knowing a better way to handle the situation, speaking loudly~ Jack?

JACK:

~opens his eyes and looks around in confusion, the Doctor’s bright orange clothing drawing his attention~ wha… Doctor? ~sits up~ but I thought you were-…

DOCTOR:

Yes, I am, was, and will be. Well, I’m here for now, so I suppose “am” is wrong in this case. Sorry for waking you up, but I do only have six hours.

JACK:

~stands up drowsily~ it _is_ two in the morning, but I guess that doesn’t matter for Timelords… ~shakes his head slightly, smiling~ Alia’s up in my room, she got he bed. And the Master’s… well, he said you knew. Welcome back, by the way.

DOCTOR:

Thanks, it’s good to be back; though I would have chosen another time if I could… this was a sort of spontaneous bribe from GLaDOS.

JACK:

Bribe? ~looks concerned, walking over to the Doctor~ what did you have to do…?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head, staring at the ground~ something that I’d like to think would have happened whether I did it or GLaDOS did… There’s now either a dead woman in my zero room or a man dead or worse back in Aperture…

JACK:

~sighs, slowing to a stop~ I’m not going to be the one to judge whether or not you made the right choice. But, you’re here now, and don’t you dare waste a second of your time feeling sorry. ~gestures to the end of the room that leads to the holding cells~ there are people who need you.

DOCTOR:

~looks up from the floor at Jack, nodding with an air of determination before turning to walk to the Master’s holding cell, mentally reaching out to him as well~

MASTER:

~is currently in a state of unprovoked outrage, though the Doctor’s communicatison makes him falter and he can’t help but be desperately relieved, curling up on the floor of a cell to the Doctor’s left and rambling to himself~

DOCTOR:

Master… ~it takes every bit of self-control he has to not just break down here and now as he looks into the cell, going to unlock it~

MASTER:

~lets out a long, thin wail as he holds his head, his knuckles visibly bloody and bruised~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the walls are decorated with the occasional red smear~

DOCTOR:

~opens the door and closes it behind him, walking over to the Master and getting on his knees, wrapping his arms gently around the other Timelord, humming the one Gallifreyan tune that he knows they both remember as it has come up so many times~

MASTER:

~breathes heavily, quieting down after a moment and shivering a little in the Doctor’s arms but seeming considerably more calm as he speaks~ y-you’re back…

DOCTOR:

That’s right; I’m back for six hours. I told you I’d be back… GLaDOS even let me use the zero room first. ~rubs the Master’s back comfortingly~

MASTER:

~carefully shifts his position, sitting up without pulling away from the Doctor and wrapping his arms around the Doctor’s neck, holding him closely and sniffling~

DOCTOR:

I took the first opportunity I had… ~his voice cracks at the end of his statement as he holds the Master, his always-fine façade slowly falling apart~

MASTER:

~notices the Doctor’s mental state~ N-no, stop; not you too. ~closes his eyes, focusing on the fact that the Doctor’s here, and not just for a few minutes, smiling and laughing shakily as he leans into the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Sorry… ~carefully brings himself back to his usual demeanor, leaning into the Master as well, his arms wrapping further around the other Timelord as he breathes in his distinct scent~

MASTER:

~relaxes happily, quietly appreciating the moment for a while before opening his eyes again, for fear of drifting off to sleep~ I… I don’t think it’s safe to let me out…

DOCTOR:

I know. I would have left the door open if I didn’t. ~pauses for a second, smiling as he adds~ though that’s obviously not keeping me out.

MASTER:

~chuckles, nuzzling the Doctor’s cheek before leaning forward, pushing the Doctor down to meet the floor and laying on top of him~ but I don’t want to stay here… not when you’re back and we have time… ~sounds more like a complaining child than anything else, fidgeting purposefuly against the Doctor’s groin~

DOCTOR:

~blushes despite himself, finding the Master’s behavior next to drunken and indecent—though sicne when had the Master had much decency anyway?~ w-well then, what do you suggest we do when you can’t be trusted in public and the TARDIS is hardly safe!? ~tries to sound exasperated, though he comes off as more flustered than anything~

MASTER:

~grins slightly, pressing himself forward into the Doctor~ I’m sure no one’s home. ~leans close to the Doctor’s ear, murmuring softly~ mm, you can handle me in public for a _little_ while, can’t you?

DOCTOR:

Master, there never was and perhaps never will be a day when I can handle you. ~he’s clearly given in, his statement delivered just short of flirtatiously~

MASTER:

Point taken. ~leans down to kiss the Doctor, closing his eyes as his hands drift to either side of the Doctor’s head. Stops abruptly to give the Doctor a pleading look~ is that a no?

DOCTOR:

~rolls his eyes, grinning~ oh fine, get up. But if you get into any sort of trouble with anyone but me, I’m taking you right back here and this game of last-night-on-earth ends.

MASTER:

~rolls off of the Doctor onto his side, lifting his hands up in front of him to resemble paws and smiling like he’s on cloud nine~ yes, Doctor, I’ll be good!

DOCTOR:

~stands up, sighing at the Master’s behavior but smiling nonetheless~ alright. Allons-y! ~goes to open the door, ready to tell Jack what they’re doing should he ask~

MASTER:

~turns over onto all fours before bringing himself to stand as well, trailing after the Doctor while childishly blabbering about how nice the Doctor is, almost seeming like he’s purposefully buttering him up~

DOCTOR:

~hates the fact that he enjoys the Master’s praise, speaking sharply~ stop acting like some five-year-old that’s been promised candy. ~opens the door, walking out and toward the main area of Torchwood~

MASTER:

~frowns, following closely behind the Doctor~ oh, but I _have,_ see, ‘cuz you’re so ‘sweet’! ~smiles again as he jump-hugs the Doctor from behind~

DOCTOR:

~stumbles, nearly falling but catching himself~ even so, you’re far from 5! I’m glad you’re happy—really, I am—but if you could act remotely socially acceptable for a minute, it would be appreciated!

MASTER:

~stops smiling, looking at the Doctor in saddened concern~ are you _not_ happy?

JACK:

~comes up to the end of the hallway, having been drawn by the commotion~ Doctor? You alright-… ~stops, worriedly noticing the Master is out of his cell~

DOCTOR:

~turns to look at the Master with a warm smile~ of course I’m happy—I missed you more than anything. You’re just-… overwhelming me a bit, don’t worry. ~then he turns to look at Jack~ yeah, I’m fine. This won’t be the first time I’ve had to deal with a mentally unstable Master.

MASTER:

~nods a little unevenly, bringing his hands together in front of him, standing straight and letting his eyes wander just a bit as he quietly waits for the Doctor to lead~

JACK:

~seems wary, but accepting~ okay… be careful.

DOCTOR:

~nods, waving for the Master to follow as he walks toward Torchwood’s exit~ we’ll come right back if there’s any trouble.

MASTER:

~follows after the Doctor with a faint whimper, looking worried at the reminder of the conditions the Doctor set and not even giving Jack a passing glance as he walks by, biting his tongue to keep from speaking~

DOCTOR:

~looks back at the Master’s pitiful attempt at being good, cocking his head slightly~ you _can_ talk, my conditions are in place so you don’t get into legal trouble or put anyone in danger.

MASTER:

~giggles seemingly without reason~ but I was overwhelming you earlier. ~keeps his hands folded as he walks up beside the Doctor, giving him a sly sideways glance~ I seem to remember you saying I could get into trouble with _you_ , though.

DOCTOR:

~just grins as a response, leaving Torchwood to walk out into nighttime Cardiff, looking in the direction he determines their house must be in~ so, what do you think is the best way to get back to the house? Given I haven’t a pound, my psychic paper, or my sonic.

MASTER:

~licks his lips in response to the Doctor’s grin, thinking “hmm. Kinky.”~ Why couldn’t we have used the TARDIS? ~looks down at his hands, twirling them around each other dramatically as if drawing out a game plan before stopping to conclude~ I doubt She’d be able to mess me up further, if She even wanted to try.

DOCTOR:

~gives the Master a sympathetic look, though his eyebrows are raised slightly in a “you know I can hear your thoughts, right?”~ that _is_ a point… alright, we’ll take the TARDIS. ~turns to go back into Torchwood and to the TARDIS~

MASTER:

~indignantly responds “of course I knew that.” And follows after the Doctor cheerfully~ and now we don’t have to go into public!

DOCTOR:

~rolls his eyes, though he’s chuckling happily this time, getting to the TARDIS easily and holding the door for his Master, mentally asking the TARDIS if Claire survived~

TARDIS:

~replies with a hesitant, solemn “no”~

MASTER:

~looks positively flattered at having the door held for him, grinning and cheerfully bounding inside, mischievously feeling across the console and its controls~

DOCTOR:

Trouble with the TARDIS does count. ~speaks in a half-hearted warning tone, walking in and closing the door behind himself, deciding that the death just means Dr. Holloway lives another day—knowing he might have been able to save them both had GLaDOS not put the bribe in place but not daring to dwell on it as he strides to the console to happily set coordinates for home~

MASTER:

~looks disappointed, though he steps back from the console obediently and folds his hands behind him. Smiles after another moment, skipping over to the Doctor’s side and giving him a dainty kiss on the cheek~

DOCTOR:

~his smile widens at the gesture and he manages to catch the Master’s lips with his own in a brief kiss before the Master can back off fully, pulling the takeoff lever afterward~

MASTER:

~giggles happily, stumbling as the TARDIS takes off because he’s not holding on to anything, but not particularly caring; actually finding it a bit thrilling~

DOCTOR:

~flies the TARDIS with his old flamboyancy for the first time in a while, running about with over-exaggerated flourishes associated with each control~

MASTER:

~collides with the Doctor on one of his stumbles, latching onto him and laughing warmly, projecting a bit off of the Doctor and finding himself in quite a positive mood; though suddenly he does get a flash of a violent impulse, but he ignores it as by now he’s used to them popping up occasionally~

DOCTOR:

~smiles despite the fact that he can detect the Master’s brief yet sudden mental violence, landing the TARDIS and heading to the doors~

MASTER:

~lets go of the Doctor and dizzily staggers after him, steadying himself as he follows at the Doctor’s heels and starts excitedly muttering praise and gratitude under his breath again, though it’s directed at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Seriously, Master, do you think I’d have done this if I didn’t want to too? ~knows what he’s saying and what it implies, opening the door to go out to the house~

MASTER:

~replies with a faint whine in his voice~ no, but you could have left me back in that cell all by myself! ~clings to the Doctor’s arm needily as he walks with the Doctor up to the front door of the house, taking no initiative for himself~

DOCTOR:

I wouldn’t do that; not while I _can_ be with you, anyway. ~opens the door to walk in, closing it once they’re both inside~ and not after what I did to get to you in the first place.

MASTER:

~once the door closes his demeanor shifts and a grin spreads across his face as he grabs the Doctor’s hips and pulls the other Timelord close, meeting him in a somewhat uncoordinated kiss~

DOCTOR:

~kisses the Master back passionately, far from minding the sudden shift in mood as he brings his arms around the Master’s waist~

MASTER:

~opens one eye to see where he’s going as he steps back, starting to turn the Doctor and waltzing into the kitchen, then through the kitchen and into the small living room. Backs the Doctor up to the couch, breaking the kiss as he pushes the Doctor to fall back onto the couch~

DOCTOR:

~easily follows the Master’s lead, the telepathic link helping that, though he is caught by surprise when he’s pushed onto the couch, disoriented as if he forgot the couch even existed~

MASTER:

~giggles at the Doctor’s disorientation, getting down onto his knees between the Doctor’s legs and sliding himself up along the Doctor’s chest like a snake, reaching his mouth and pulling him into another kiss~

DOCTOR:

~kisses the Master back instantly, bringing a hand to the side of the Master’s face as he does so, not letting his mind go to the Master’s position~

MASTER:

~his hands travel up the Doctor’s sides, unzipping his jumpsuit completely; breaks the kiss as his hands drift downward, affectionately feeling around the Doctor’s thighs~ what did you have to do to get it back? ~sounds concerned~

DOCTOR:

~bites back a responsive noise, frowning briefly at the Master’s question~ nothing that wasn’t already going to happen…

MASTER:

~shifts himself forward, getting closer to the Doctor and placing gentle kisses on his abdomen, his hands moving to the Doctor’s waist as he firmly pulls the Doctor closer to the edge of the couch~

DOCTOR:

~hums lightly, relieved that the Master didn’t further question him, running a hand through the Master’s hair with his back arching a bit on instinct~

MASTER:

~pauses for a moment to tilt his head into the Doctor’s hand, closing his eyes briefly before siting up, pulling the jumpsuit off of the Doctor’s shoulders and meeting his gaze with a playful smirk~

DOCTOR:

~returns the Master’s smirk, letting the jumpsuit slide off of his torso entirely before bringing his arms loosely around the Master’s neck~

MASTER:

~flinches back in panic and bats the Doctor’s arms away—having been startled for no obvious reason—turning to sit parallel to the couch and curling up into a protective ball, where he rocks back and forth slightly~

DOCTOR:

~just gets down and wraps his arms around the Master, only minorly fazed by the sudden breakdown~ shhh, hush… it’s okay…

MASTER:

~tenses at first, physical contact confusing him, but relaxes after a moment with the help of the Doctor’s reassurance, uncurling slightly~ sorry… some things are just… unpredictable…

DOCTOR:

~smiles sympathetically at the Master~ don’t be sorry, I don’t expect for you to be able to control this past a certain extent—it’s like if I were to apologize for flinching at pain, it doesn’t make sense.

MASTER:

~looks thoughtful~ it _could_ make sense, if-… ~chuckles, deciding not to continue and accepts the Doctor’s reasoning instead. Turns himself over, facing the Doctor on all fours and smiling cheerfully, crawling forward to nuzzle the Doctor’s chest~

DOCTOR:

~laughs lightly, able to infer the rest of the Master’s sentence, bringing one hand to prop himself up while the other affectionately travels the Master’s back~

MASTER:

~kisses up the Doctor’s neck, pausing at his jaw~ come on now, the floor’s hardly comfortable. ~backs off of him, climbing back up onto the couch~

DOCTOR:

~gets up and sits on the couch as well, smiling happily though the Master’s wildly differentiating moods are starting to get confusing~

MASTER:

~presses the Doctor down to lie on the couch, crawling between his legs again and pulling at the Doctor’s jumpsuit so that he can lean down and teasingly kiss the tip of the Doctor’s length~

DOCTOR:

~makes a noise similar to a growl at the tease, suppressing a responsive shudder as he gets his jumpsuit the rest of the way off and kicks it off of the couch, finding it a nuisance by now~

MASTER:

~laughs at the Doctor’s response, backing off a little as to not get kicked and removing his own shoes before leaning forward, fiddling with the Doctor’s collar~ they took your leash again. ~sounds disappointed~

DOCTOR:

~scowls playfully at the Master’s laughter, but briefly. Speaks in response to the Master’s disappointment~ at least they let me keep the collar. ~smiles at the Master, the originally diminishing ring of leather around his neck having become a comfort to him~

MASTER:

Yes. ~smiles mischievously, one of his hands drifting down to stroke the Doctor~ though, I _would_ like to see you roll over… maybe wag your tail, like a good dog. ~speaks softly~

DOCTOR:

~bites his lip, groaning despite himself and not seeming to be as put off by the Master as he probably should~

MASTER:

~lets his hand speed up slightly before stopping, leaning down to gently speak into the Doctor’s ear, smirking~ come on now; don’t want to keep me waiting.

DOCTOR:

~glares at how damn persuasive the Master is, not about to pretend that his situation isn’t helping the Master’s persuasiveness, glancing around at his current position and finding that it would be rather difficult to roll over even if he wanted to~

MASTER:

~sits up, giving the Doctor more room while continuing to smile with odd cheerfulness~ you could have just asked for more space.

DOCTOR:

~scowls before rolling his eyes~ oh, fine. ~rolls over a full 360˚, just doing so again in the opposite direction to get back to where he was, not able to hold the Master’s gaze as he loses even more of his dignity—something he thought to be near impossible when it comes to the Master~

MASTER:

~grins, leaning forward again to affectionately rub the Doctor’s stomach~ good boy. Do you deserve a reward?

DOCTOR:

~decides he’ll just play the game this time, giving his best wide-eyed pleading expression, letting himself smile in anticipation~ yes, Master.

MASTER:

~revels in his victory, coming down to kiss the Doctor as he brings both hands to the Doctor’s length, stroking him firmly and steadily~

DOCTOR:

~moans into the Master’s mouth, kissing the other Timelord back—a little uncoordinated due to being unable to really focus~

MASTER:

~lets his tongue venture into the Doctor’s mouth, his hips rocking as arousal clouds his own mind. Moves back from the kiss and sits up, pulling his shirt over his head and kicking off his trousers before continuing the kiss, grinding against the Doctor when he slides forward~

DOCTOR:

~hums lightly in pleasure, deciding this is worth his degrading little show, swirling his tongue around the Master’s playfully~

MASTER:

~presses himself to the Doctor’s stomach as he brings his right arms across the Doctor’s shoulders, the other to rest on the Doctor’s hip, and eventually breaking the kiss for air. Speaks breathlessly~ god, I missed you. ~pants lightly after the statement~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the statement, panting as well~ I missed you too. ~his smile turns to a more flirtatious smirk~ along with your little games of domination.

MASTER:

Really? ~sounds flattered, giving a sad smile and lowering his head to rest on the Doctor’s chest, the rest of his body going idle as he closes his eyes tightly in despair, breathing shakily~

DOCTOR:

~brings his arms around the Master comfortingly again~ yes, really. ~decides to just mentally reassure the Master rather than verbally this time~

MASTER:

~holds the Doctor tightly as if to make sure he’s there, forcing his mood back up to where it was and speaking mischievously~ alright, then. ~sits up, hooking his fingers around the Doctor’s collar and bringing him up too, sneering~ heel.

DOCTOR:

~falters before chuckling slightly, knowing he got himself into this one as he brings himself to sit at the Master’s side and back a little, not even posturing himself like an equal~

MASTER:

Good. ~gives the Doctor an affectionate pat on the head, ruffling his hair slightly and smiling~ lay down. ~shifts back, gesturing to the space in front of him~

DOCTOR:

~obediently lays on his stomach in front of the Master, having actually smiled slightly at the Master’s praise~

MASTER:

Don’t be getting quiet on me now. ~speaks in a warning tone as he grabs the Doctor by his collar, gently bringing him up so that his torso rests on the Master’s lap and tilting the Doctor’s head back so the Master can meet his gaze~ you know how much it displeases me.

DOCTOR:

O-of course, Master. ~swallows back a natural fear, meeting the Master’s gaze but making sure the gesture can’t be mistaken for rebellion~ never quiet.

MASTER:

Very good. ~smiles in a display of his approval, letting go of the Doctor’s collar and fondly caressing his cheek~ see, isn’t everything so much better when you listen?

DOCTOR:

~smiles back, letting himself nuzzle the Master’s hand slightly~ yes, Master, it is. ~finds that he actually means what he’s saying, knowing that’s the Master’s doing~

MASTER:

~strokes the Doctor’s hair, his other hand bringing one of the Doctor’s hands to rest on his thigh~ now go on, before I have to punish you. ~speaks threateningly as he nudges the Doctor’s head downward, moving his legs apart slightly~

DOCTOR:

~instantly understands what he’s meant to do, his hand caressing the Master’s thigh as he drags his tongue along the Master’s length from base to tip~

MASTER:

~shudders, bringing one hand to run through the Doctor’s hair and the other to grip the Doctor’s shoulder, humming and figuring his approval is obvious enough~

DOCTOR:

~takes part of the Master’s length into his mouth, gradually taking in more of it until there’s no more left to take, swirling his tongue around the Master’s length and managing to stop himself from gagging~

MASTER:

~bites his lip but can’t stop himself from letting out a gentle moan, grabbing a fistful of the Doctor’s hair as he pants lightly, shivering a bit~

DOCTOR:

~swallows around the Master’s length, humming softly to further stimulate the Master, never stopping with his tongue~

MASTER:

~his breath hitches and he gives a small outcry, leaning his head against the back of the couch and breathing heavily now. Instinctively pushes the Doctor’s head closer to himself, his back arching as he moves his hips forward as well~

DOCTOR:

~keeps himself from gagging, swallowing again and humming a little louder, his hand travelling up and around the Master’s hip~

MASTER:

~bites his lip to stifle another noise, letting his eyes close; after a minute or so of this he gives out, spilling into the Doctor’s mouth without much warning at all~

DOCTOR:

~chokes on the stuff at first, swallowing most of it as he backs off of the Master, smiling slightly though he is uncomfortably aroused himself by now~

MASTER:

~takes a moment to regain his breath, smiling back when he does and gesturing for the Doctor to come closer~ come on; get up. ~holds his arms open slightly in a welcoming manner~

DOCTOR:

~gets up on all fours as it’s just the easiest way to do so, sitting directly in front of the Master, not daring to take initiative for himself~

MASTER:

~relaxes his shoulders, tilting his head to the side slightly and giving the Doctor a whimsically seductive look~ oh, come on, I don’t bite. ~extends his arms again in another offer~

DOCTOR:

~grins, coming up and wrapping his arms around the Master, snuggling up to him~ that’s a lie. ~nuzzles the Master’s neck appreciatively~

MASTER:

~chuckles, wrapping his arms around the Doctor as well~ alright, I suppose it is. ~grins, playfully nibbling the side of the Doctor’s neck, in a way that doesn’t even hurt~

DOCTOR:

~closes his eyes, smiling and relaxing in the Master’s arms, fighting to block out thoughts about the fact that he’ll eventually have to leave to go back to Aperture at some point. Speaks in a soft, playful tone~ I would know.

MASTER:

~spares some of his focus in keeping himself together to help the Doctor ignore those thoughts, bringing one hand down to stroke the Doctor’s length and help with his unsatisfied arousal~

DOCTOR:

~hums lightly in thanks, having been about to thank the Master before he started stroking him, the Master making it exponentially easier to focus on here and now~

MASTER:

~chuckles softly, grinning as he speaks and moves his hand a little faster~ go ahead; I’d appreciate some gratitude.

DOCTOR:

Th-thank you, Master. ~speaks breathlessly, panting and finding it difficult to speak much~ you’re the—ah—the best…

MASTER:

Hm… and? ~smiles, gripping the Doctor’s length briefly before continuing to stroke him~

DOCTOR:

And-… and I don’t deserve you. I m-mean, in a num-number of ways… and, good god, you’re wonderful; s-sometimes in the wo-worst possible way, but still… ~his hips have started rocking slightly in sync with the Master’s hand~

MASTER:

~keeps his hand going at a steady pace~ aw, how sweet. You’ll make me blush. ~brings his other hand up to the Doctor’s jaw, moving his head back so he can pull the other Timelord into a gentle kiss~

DOCTOR:

~kisses the Master back, getting increasingly uncoordinated. After a short moment, stammers a muffled warning before he bucks into the Master’s hand with a low moan as he comes to~

MASTER:

~almost purposefully gets his stomach covered in the Doctor’s come, breaking the kiss and smirking as he orders bluntly~ clean it up.

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly, mumbling a “yes, Master” as he catches his breath, knowing what his Master means automatically—though the fact that there are no actual cleaning materials nearby helps his interpretation. Bends down to lick up his mess, tasting himself and the Master as he does so~

MASTER:

~smiles and gently strokes the Doctor’s hair as he works~ good boy. ~nudges the Doctor off of him when he finishes, reaching down to grab his trousers and pull them on without getting off of the couch~

DOCTOR:

~goes to get his clothing back on but doesn’t, knowing the Master’s rules perfectly well without needing a reminder~

MASTER:

~gives the Doctor a warning glance, pulling his shirt on before sliding to the edge of the couch, patting his lap and speaking cheerfully, though his statement is almost threatening~ nothing to say?

DOCTOR:

~is snapped to attention by the warning gesture~ sorry, Master, I—I hadn’t thought of anything to say. ~abandons his clothing hesitantly to sit on the Master’s lap as it seems like his gesture ordered~

MASTER:

~brings his arms around the Doctor, looking up at him~ it’s alright. I’ll let it slide, just this once. ~smiles and gives the Doctor’s thigh a small pinch, just to make sure he gets his message across~

DOCTOR:

Thank you. ~makes sure grateful relief rings clear in his statement, not moving from the Master pinching him though he is gradually getting more comfortable with the situation~ it won’t happen again.

MASTER:

Good. You’ve been more than excellent, Doctor. ~brings a hand to the Doctor’s jaw, tilting his head back and moving forward to kiss the Doctor’s neck~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the Master’s actions despite himself, allowing the other Timelord full access to his neck~ well, I certainly try my best not to displease you, Master.

MASTER:

~giggles, giving the Doctor’s neck a small nip and letting his hand feel down from his jaw to his collar in admiration before letting go of the Doctor entirely~ go on, you can get dressed.

DOCTOR:

Right. ~gets up and walks to the discarded orange jumpsuit, the unappealing thing only a reminder of where he has to go as he puts it on, simultaneously looking at a clock on the wall to check the time, having to be on his way back to Aperture by 8:00~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the clock reads approximately quarter to three~

MASTER:

~locks his gaze onto the Aperture symbol on the back of the jumpsuit, seeming caught in a trance before the Doctor moves so that it’s no longer visible, coming back to attention and blinking in hazy confusion~

DOCTOR:

~mutters to himself~ only 45 minutes… I had forgotten how long time is when you don’t bounce from disaster to- ~notices the Master’s demeanor~ are you alright? ~grimaces slightly at his question~ relatively speaking.

MASTER:

~tears up slightly and blinks it away, looking up at the Doctor as if surprised by the question, chuckling~ no; I thought this was already established. ~looks at the floor as if confused by his own statement~

DOCTOR:

Well, yeah—I meant relative to how you’ve been… nothing about this is “alright” except for the fact that I get to be here for now. ~looks at the Master in concern, knowing there’s a number of things wrong with the Master that aren’t the Master’s fault~

MASTER:

~shakes his head, smiling genuinely~ I’m much better relative to how I’ve been. ~stands up, his smile deteriorating into an almost mad grin as he makes his way back to the kitchen~ come on, Alia doesn’t know you’re back yet…

DOCTOR:

Yeah. Maybe we could all go somewhere, as a family… if you’re up to it. ~follows the Master easily, still concerned but figuring there’s nothing he can really do for the Master’s mental state that he isn’t doing~

MASTER:

Maybe. ~his mood seems to drift from devious to more cheerful, finding himself getting excited about the prospect of going out and about, though suddenly becomes worried as he remembers what happened last time they were going to go somewhere as a family. Falters before he can open the front door to head outside~

DOCTOR:

I will, of course, try to help you. ~sets his hand on the Master’s shoulder in a comforting way, smiling reassuringly~ though I won’t try to make you do anything if you don’t trust yourself.

MASTER:

I don’t want to be… left alone again. ~opens the door, smiling back at the Doctor and responding cheerfully~ thank you. ~walks out, seeming to have easily recovered from the emotional speed bump~

DOCTOR:

~walks out, closing the door behind them before happily striding up to walk beside the Master, seeming elated~ it’s settled then!

MASTER:

~smirks a little, bounding up to the TARDIS and opening the door, spinning into the console room with a wide flourish, purposefully making himself sound somewhat obnoxious~ ohhh, it’s too bad you missed all of that! He put on quite a show. ~looks over at the Doctor dramatically~ didn’t you, Doctor?

DOCTOR:

Well—er- ~closes the TARDIS door as he comes in, immediately flustered by the Master’s little show, his mind automatically open to the TARDIS, deciding he’ll play along to an extent, gaining a smile again~ yes, Master!

MASTER:

~grins at the Doctor’s response~

GLaDOS:

*Are you speaking to me?* ~she asks with an obviously irritated tone~

MASTER:

~looks upward in exasperation, seeming almost offended as he folds his arms~ well yes; who else would I be bragging to?

DOCTOR:

~takes GLaDOS’ tone as a warning~ alright, come on, Master. ~goes to the console to put in coordinates for Torchwood~ She may be a bitch and a mild pervert, but She _was_ the one who let me come back.

MASTER:

~shrugs off the encounter, going over to the Doctor’s general area and splaying himself across the console, turning his head to look over at the Doctor curiously~ speaking of which; you said there was something you had to do to get here. What was it?

DOCTOR:

Let’s just say it would have happened whether I did it or not and I got to visit you and Alia for it. ~that’s the story he’ll keep feeding himself anyways, thinking about Claire for a second before forcing the thoughts back~

MASTER:

Alright; you’ve said it twice now. That’s all fine and dandy if what I wanted was for you to repeat yourself. ~his expression hardens slightly, suspicious now~

DOCTOR:

~his gaze becomes fixed on the console, his hands gripping its rim~ Fine. I killed a person—a good person. One of the humans in Aperture: the one who was unlucky enough to be my escort when GLaDOS said that if I threw her into the zero room to test if it works on humans, I could come home for six hours. Her name was Claire. She did not survive.

MASTER:

~blinks a few times, sitting up as lying on the console was actually rather uncomfortable~ okay, two things—one, there are humans in Aperture? ~gives a look of confusion~ and two, does this mean there’s a dead body in the TARDIS? ~changes his expression, looking noticeably interested~

DOCTOR:

As for the first thing, yes—they helped run the place when She was Caroline and apparently were stupid enough to restore GLaDOS. And as for your second question, probably. ~shakes his head, speaking more to himself~ I should have known that you wouldn’t be phased by the death of one human….

MASTER:

~frowns~ so… it’s _their_ fault. They brought her back… ~looks to the floor angrily, mostly ignoring the Doctor’s last comment~

DOCTOR:

They didn’t check… I honestly was surprised by the difference between Caroline and GLaDOS. There are a lot of actually kind people there… ~puts the TARDIS into flight, not really wanting to talk about humans being a comfort to him around GLaDOS~ though there are those who chuckle at an unfortunate test subject—though I do believe you would have chuckled too given the situation I was in at the time.

MASTER:

~smiles slightly, leaning back against the console and holding onto the rim~ oh really? What situation would that have been?

DOCTOR:

Handcuffed, blindfolded, a bit beaten up, and covered in some sort of chemical from the test as I was escorted down the hall.

MASTER:

~chuckles in obvious amusement at the mental image~ alright, I see what you mean.

TARDIS:

~lands~

DOCTOR:

~walks up to the doors once the TARDIS lands~ see? I know you better than you think. ~mutters something incoherent to himself, opening the doors~

ENVIRONMENT:

~unexpectedly, the Doctor’s met with a white-paneled room and sounds of construction—or in this case, deconstruction—where to the left it seems that Tav is being taken apart by a team of scientists milling about~

MASTER:

~approaches the doors in sudden concern~

MEN:

~two of the men in lab coats approach them, pulling on sanitary gloves as they walk inside and push past the Timelords~

DOCTOR:

And what the hell do you think you’re doing!? ~runs up to the men, trying to get answers to questions he probably would rather not ask~ if you lay a hand on my TARDIS, so help me-…

MAN:

~the one in the lead turns his head briefly to the Doctor as they walk, speaking flatly~ we’re here for the girl. ~swiftly turns into the hallway with his accomplice~

MASTER:

~stays standing still by the doorway, looking out at all that’s going on in the room as if in awe~

DOCTOR:

Oh… Claire… ~shakes his head~ carry on, then… Oh, and be careful! ~looks back to Tav solemnly, shaking his head~ god, what kind of Doctor am I anymore?

MASTER:

~is silent for a while longer, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly, responding while continuing to stare at the people outside~ mine.

DOCTOR:

~only finds the Master’s response comforting for a second before really thinking about it— _his_ kind of Doctor… the Master’s Doctor… is this man who hardly saves people anymore. Remembers Missy’s “that’s my Doctor”, trying to keep his thought process from the Master a bit late~

MASTER:

~turns his head to look at the Doctor with this whimsical expression~ hm, maybe it’s because you’ve been around me for too long. ~after a brief moment of curious thought, looks back outside, leaning forward while holding the doorframe and gently taking a step outside of the TARDIS~

DOCTOR:

Don’t go out there, Master. I don’t care if you’re a bad influence, you’re _my_ bad influence and I’m taking you and Alia on a family trip before I come back here alone. I can sort out myself when I have the time.

MASTER:

~puts weight on the foot that’s outside almost in rebellion, looking back at the Doctor again~ I’m good for nothing back in Torchwood… If… maybe I came with you when the time is up… ~leans forward, bringing his other foot just outside of the TARDIS while keeping his hold on the doorframe~

DOCTOR:

~sighs in exasperation~ and you think you’ll fall apart slower _here_!? Either way, there’s no reason to leave the TARDIS _now._ ~shakes his head~ I will think about taking you with me.

MASTER:

~briefly lets go of the doorframe before turning back and heading into the console room again, walking up to the Doctor and hugging him~ Thank you.

ENVIRONMENT:

~footsteps can be heard approaching from the hallway~

DOCTOR:

~hugs the Master back~ I’m the last person you need to thank—this is all my fault in the first place. ~turns his head to look at the entrance to the hallway when he hears approaching footsteps~

MASTER:

~lets go of the Doctor, watching the two men~

MEN:

~they carry Claire’s limp but unblemished body between them, heading out the door without a word~

MASTER:

~comments after a moment~ well that was somewhat disappointing.

DOCTOR:

~closes the door behind the men, giving the Master a sharp look as he walks up to the console, not saying anything while he puts in the coordinates for Torchwood~

MASTER:

What? ~pouts slightly at the Doctor’s look, walking up with him and hanging over his shoulder~

DOCTOR:

I killed that woman—I took her life from her, taking her from any future she could have had. I ruined millions of possibilities for her based off of the infinite chance of this universe, and all you can do is be disappointed that it didn’t _entertain_ you!?

MASTER:

~pauses for a moment to think about what the Doctor said before answering decidedly~ yes.

DOCTOR:

~sighs, shaking his head~ what am I going to do with you? ~pulls the takeoff lever, looking thoughtful but not letting the Master see his thoughts~

MASTER:

~smiles deviously, bringing a hand to the Doctor’s waist~ anything you’d like. ~lowers his voice and smiles wider, his words hard to understand over the sound of takeoff~ bonus points if it hurts.

DOCTOR:

~falters, a smirk playing across his face~ damn you. ~flies the TARDIS almost absently, more the preoccupied at the moment~

MASTER:

~brings his other hand to the Doctor’s side, grinning as he peers around at the Doctor~ Indeed.

DOCTOR:

~chuckles slightly, smiling~ well, I couldn’t think of a better person to be damned with. ~remembering a previous conversation about being “damned”~

MASTER:

~lets go of the Doctor suddenly, stepping back and walking off and bringing his hands to his head like he’s going to start pacing, though he doesn’t finish a full circle before the TARDIS lands and he stops~

DOCTOR:

Come on, Master; where do you think we should go? I was thinking a park on a foreign planet or something of the sort. ~is trying to get the Master’s focus onto something harmless, starting towards the door~

MASTER:

~chuckles shakily, bringing his hands down from his head~ I’d best not say anything… ~trails off into laughter, sinking to his knees and staring at the floor, focusing on trying to steady his breathing~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master in confused concern, not sure whether he even meant to speak aloud. Walks over and kneels beside the Master, rubbing his back comfortingly~

MASTER:

~brings his hands up to his face, not seeming to be doing very well with his unsteady breathing. Lowers his hands and looks over at the Doctor after a moment~ I think… I think I might need some time. Before we can go.

DOCTOR:

~meets the Master’s gaze as he speaks~ I still have roughly five more hours, so we do have time. I’m not leaving you alone, though. Whether what I did was right or wrong, I didn’t come back to make you sit alone in that cell again.

MASTER:

~smiles, leaning into the Doctor~ thank you. ~is still breathing a little heavily, and shivering faintly~ I’m so glad you’re back.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at the Master~ I’m glad to be back… And, honestly, reassured by how you actually seem to have missed me… you seemed to be having trouble caring at one point, I was worried.

MASTER:

~loses his smile, moving himself closer to the Doctor~ I know; it… it scared me. At least, once I got back to caring again. ~lowers his head~ I don’t want it to… happen again.

DOCTOR:

~wraps his arms around the Master~ all we can do is our best… beyond that, what happens happens… I suppose.

MASTER:

~nods slightly, resting his head on the Doctor’s chest for a moment~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a nervous knock at the door~

DOCTOR:

~lets one of his arms drop as he turns slightly to look at the doorway, keeping one arm across the Master’s back~ assuming this is Jack, come in!

JACK:

~the door opens and Jack peers in, looking worried~ everyone okay? You were taking a while to come out.

DOCTOR:

Yes—well, relatively speaking, I suppose… ~looks back down at the Master in concern before adding~ you know, I guess I really don’t know.

MASTER:

~doesn’t seem to be paying attention, letting his eyes close as he listens to the Doctor’s heartbeats~

JACK:

~follows the Doctor’s gaze briefly, opening the door further and stepping inside~ anything I can do?

DOCTR:

I don’t really think so… There’s nearly nothing I can do anymore—I doubt he’d let me take the drums back after the last time I had them, and I can’t re-wipe the memories. We just have to let him recollect himself. ~looks up at Jack~ though I really do appreciate all your help.

MASTER:

~looks up suddenly, gripping the Doctor’s jumpsuit to get his attention and seeming desperate~ I-I would! Though! Doctor, I trust you, I forgave you…

JACK:

~takes a few steps forward, prepared to defend the Doctor when he sees the Master grab him~

DOCTOR:

~gives Jack an exasperated look before turning his attention back to the Master~ Alright then, though I have no clue why you haven’t _asked._ Just unblock them and I can take them.

MASTER:

~lets go of the Doctor’s jumpsuit, glancing over at Jack almost in fear before bringing his arm around the Doctor’s waist and opening up the beat of four to him, snuggling up to him as if trying to hide~

DOCTOR:

~takes the drumbeat from the Master, blocking them from the Master with a slight grimace as he readjusts to the noise, giving the Master a reassuring look afterward~

MASTER:

~doesn’t see the reassuring look as his face is buried into the Doctor’s chest~ sorry.

JACK:

~looking concerned, retraces his steps and comments after a moment~ is it okay if I go wake Alia up? She’ll be real happy to see you guys.

DOCTOR:

It’s really okay… ~looks back at Jack~ and yes. We were going to do that next and go somewhere as a family—you’re welcome too, of course.

JACK:

~smiles at that~ sure, I can come with. As long as I’m back by six thirty; the crew will be coming in then. ~heads toward the door~

DOCTOR:

No problem! That gives us three and ½ hours… roughly and assuming time travel’s not an option. ~looks thoughtful, wrapping his arms around the Master nearly subconsciously~

JACK:

Right. I’ll bring Alia. ~gives a little salute before leaving the TARDIS, closing the door behind him~

MASTER:

~relaxes considerably, almost just falling asleep in his relief~

DOCTOR:

What did you think Jack was going to do? ~strokes the Master’s bleach-blonde hair in a comforting gesture~ I wouldn’t have let him separate us, but he’d only do that if you did something particularly wrong.

MASTER:

I-I don’t know. ~closes his eyes, unnerved but comforted by the Doctor’s actions~ I was just scared.

DOCTOR:

Well it’s alright… for right now, we’re both about as safe as we’ve ever been. ~continues to comfort the Master, knowing his attention will have to be divided once Jack and Alia come back~

MASTER:

~sighs lightly, calming himself down completely by the time Alia comes bursting through the door~

ALIA:

~is as energetic as ever, despite having just been woken up~ Daddy!! You’re back! ~goes to run to the Doctor, pausing suddenly and looking unsure when she sees the Master~

MASTER:

~looking like he’s half-asleep~

DOCTOR:

~smiles happily, standing and running up to Alia when she hesitates, picking her up in a hug and spinning her around once before holding her like he normally would, infinitely grateful that all of his wounds were healed~ Alia! I missed you!

MASTER:

~flops to the floor when the Doctor is no longer there to be leaned on~

ALIA:

I missed you too, Daddy! ~responds eagerly, wrapping her arms around the Doctor’s neck in a return of his hug~

DOCTOR:

~tries to mentally jolt the Master awake, assuming he just fell asleep, still seeming happy as ever as he glances out the door to be sure that Jack is coming~ we’re gonna go somewhere fun all together!

ALIA:

~looks excited~ really!?

MASTER:

~abruptly sits up, grimacing slightly and looking up at the Doctor and Alia, coming to his feet~

JACK:

~approaches the doorway with a hearty chuckle~ man, she’s fast.

DOCTOR:

~gives the Master an apologetic look before answering Alia~ Yup! ~addresses everyone as he adds~ though I’m not entirely decided on any one place, any ideas?

ALIA:

~responds before anyone else can, grinning~ let’s go to the Ocean planet! With Adam!

DOCTOR:

~Alia’s response makes him smile, seeming almost equally eager as he answers~ that planet was beautiful, but we only found Adam by chance. Besides, Alia, there are billions upon trillions upon novemnonagintillions of planets out there! Though I could let you set the coordinates again, if you want.

JACK:

~steps inside the TARDIS and closes the door behind him as the Doctor speaks~

ALIA:

~looks crestfallen at first before brightening up at the Doctor’s offer~ oh, yes! I want to!

MASTER:

~looks wary, as if worried by the prospect of Alia setting random coordinates for their trip~

DOCTOR:

~mentally tells the Master that he’ll make sure it’s a safe sector of space~ and all I’ll do is make sure we don’t end up inside of a star or black hole or something. ~looks between the Master and Jack~ agreed?

ALIA:

~nods enthusiastically~

JACK:

~shrugs~ sure, I’m up for it.

MASTER:

~looks between all three of them, shifting his weight onto his heels before answering~ agreed.

DOCTOR:

Alright then! ~goes to the console and sets Alia down next to him~ do you remember how we did it last time?

ALIA:

~runs up to the monitor as soon as she’s set down, looking at the keyboard~ I push the buttons until you tell me to stop?

MASTER:

~walks over to them on Alia’s other side, peering at the monitor~

DOCTOR:

Right. Just the grey ones though, you wouldn’t want to accidentally get rid of one of the rooms in the TARDIS or something. ~chuckles slightly~ though I do speak from experience.

ALIA:

~looks up at the Doctor with a mortified expression~ what if someone’s _in_ there when it goes?

JACK:

~stands back, folding his arms and observing the ‘family dynamic’ in amusement~

DOCTOR:

Well, besides the fact that you can’t get rid of the console room as it was normally just me and whatever companion I had at the time so that wasn’t really a problem, the TARDIS would move whoever’s in the room to somewhere else in the TARDIS.

ALIA:

~seems substantially reassured, hugging the monitor~ oh. I knew she wouldn’t let that happen!

MASTER:

~steps forward after a moment to gently pull Alia back from the monitor, speaking delicately~ come on, Alia, we do have a time limt.

DOCTOR:

~smiles at Alia’s reaction though the Master’s statement brings him back to their current situation, nodding~ he’s right; we should get moving.

ALIA:

~looks over at the Master for a moment, then smiles at him~ okay. ~focuses on the keyboard, decisively tapping out numbers with a thoughtful pause between each one~

DOCTOR:

~once she’s put in enough numbers, speaks~ stop… ~checks the coordinates to be sure they’re safe~

ALIA:

~stops when she’s told~

JACK:

~comes over to take a look at the coordinates~

TARDIS:

~the coordinates are in a well-populated sector of space, not on any particular planet, but the TARDIS says she’ll gravitate toward the nearest one~

DOCTOR:

~smiles, pulling the takeoff lever enthusiastically once he’s checked the coordinates and acknowledged the TARDIS, flying her with all of his old enthusiasm~

 


	6. Family Trip

ALIA:

~runs after the Doctor~ Daddy wait! I wanna help!

DOCTOR:

Alright, Alia, push that button there… ~points to one of the buttons on the console while flipping a switch, continuing on and giving Alia various instructions as he goes, occasionally describing something’s purpose~

ALIA:

~she pushes the button that’s indicated, following the Doctor’s every instruction and eagerly soaking up the information~

MASTER:

~moves away from the console to get out of their path and balances a little awkwardly next to Jack~

DOCTOR:

~continues to instruct Alia until the TARDIS lands, moving away from the console once in between instructions to give the Master a kiss brief enough to be next to subtle out of regard for Jack~

MASTER:

~smiles warmly at the Doctor’s actions~

ALIA:

~bounces out of excitement when the TARDIS lands, nagging the Doctor~ d’you think one day I could fly her all by myself??

JACK:

~chuckles, heading over to the door to check what’s outside as he figures it’s safest if he’s the one to do it~

DOCTOR:

~smiles as he answers Alia~ I think one day you’ll be the best at flying her! ~sees what Jack’s doing and figures it best he let him, appreciating his old friend more than ever~

ALIA:

~grins brightly~

JACK:

~peers outside, looking back with a cheerful smile~ well, it’s not a planet, but looks fun all the same!

DOCTOR:

Not a planet…? So is it a ship, or…? ~strides up to the door in confusion, trying to think of where they could have landed~

JACK:

Yeah. Looks almost like a circus. ~opens the door further~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a wide room outside, which has windows along the walls that show the stars outside, while multiple types of aliens mill about and some of them are doing tricks on stages~

TARDIS:

~admits to changing her landing destination, just slightly~

DOCTOR:

Alright then! Let’s go have a look. ~looks back to Alia and the Master to gesture for them to come over, looking to see how many different species are out there, able to name nearly all of them~

ALIA:

~bounds up excitedly~

MASTER:

~follows her at a distance~

ALIA:

~gasps happily at the scene, looking up at the Doctor~ what’s this, Daddy?

DOCTOR:

It’s certainly an event of some sort, though I can’t say I’m familiar with it… ~walks out of the TARDIS, speaking to a random alien~ excuse me, miss, but what is all this? You see, this is my first time here and I came across this by chance.

ENVIRONMENT:

~there are more than forty types of species, yet some of those performing aren’t immediately recognized by the Doctor~

ALIEN:

~responds in English, as the TARDIS is actively translating~ why, it’s show—a traveling group; relatively new in this quadrant.

ALIA:

~runs out after the Doctor, eagerly looking around~

JACK:

~follows at a casual saunter~

MASTER:

~trails behind, closing the door of the TARDIS~

DOCTOR:

Okay. Thank you! ~turns to Jack once he catches up~ well, you were right—it’s basically a travelling circus. ~looks around himself at the ship~ though I can’t tell exactly where the ship comes from, along with some of the people, so this should be interesting.

ALIA:

~looks up at an Ood curiously as it passes by~

  
MASTER:

~catches up to the Doctor, standing close behind him~ a circus? That’s quite convenient, actually… are you sure the coordinates were completely random?

DOCTOR:

The TARDIS did change the destination slightly, though her definition of “slightly” might be loose. ~looks thoughtful~ it could mean there’s something important going on if she changed them by much, so we might want to be careful.

MASTER:

I’ll keep an eye out for suspicious characters. ~mentally asks the Doctor if he’s got any way of telling the time before realizing Alia’s run off to talk to a nearby Silurian, quickly going off to retrieve her~

JACK:

~watches them, smiling and looking over at the Doctor~ so, how is it having a family?

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at Jack, though he seems to have to think through his answer~ honestly? I’m not sure how I feel about it… I mean, I love them, but neither of them can really take care of themselves; I’m perfectly happy caring for them both, I have no problem with responsibility, but when it comes to protecting them… it’s tough. Though the Master does have a point—do we have any way of telling how much time has passed?

JACK:

Erm… I’ve got a watch. ~brings back his sleeve to reveal the convenient time telling device~

MASTER:

~returns with Alia, he sniffs, looking offended as he replies indignantly~ I can take care of myself.

DOCTOR:

Well I’m sure you _can;_ I didn’t mean any offense by it, but you do tend to get yourself either in trouble or in a monarchal position fairly quickly no matter where we go or who we’re with. ~thinks “even if it’s just me and you”~ and your mental state does worry me more frequently than not.

MASTER:

~chuckles~ I wouldn’t say being in a monarchal positon is necessarily a bad thing. For me, anyway.

ALIA:

~goes over to the Doctor, giving him a hopeful look as she wraps her arms around him~ is Father better now? He seems better…

DOCTOR:

For you, no, but for everyone else around you—at least those who don’t listen. ~turns to Alia, smiling~ and your father is feeling much better… though I’m not sure if it’s permanent.

MASTER:

~the Doctor’s comment about not listening makes him snicker, looking almost proud when he trails off~

ALIA:

~smiles, resting her head on the Doctor’s stomach~ okay. Thank you.

JACK:

~looks between the Timelords with a smile~ hey, mind if I take a look around? If I don’t run into you we can meet back at the TARDIS around six.

DOCTOR:

That’s a great idea, but how in the world will any of us besides you be able to tell the time? They took everything I had on me at Aperture and neither Alia nor the Master ever had a use for a watch beyond the Master’s fob watch when he was Professor Yana.

JACK:

~easily removes his watch, tossing it to the Doctor with a smile~ there you go. Don’t worry, I’ll figure myself out. ~gives a wink, not giving the Doctor time to respond before he slips into the crowd~

DOCTOR:

~easily catches the watch, putting it on~ I’d bet money he’ll have flirted with someone other than me in the next minute. ~turns to Alia and the Master~ so, what should we do first?

ALIA:

~lets go of the Doctor, asking curiously~ what’s flirted?

MASTER:

~actually has a suggestion, explaining mentally that he saw some creatures resembling dragons a little further down when he had gone to get Alia~

DOCTOR:

Um… flirting is when someone speaks in a specific way in order to flatter another person or make that person feel more drawn to them. ~starts in the direction the Master’s thought seemed to indicate~

MASTER:

I can give you an example. ~grins slyly at the Doctor, speaking flirtatiously and giving the other Timelord a small grope as he passes by~

ALIA:

~watches with interest, following the Master when he turns to follow the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~rolls his eyes slightly, smiling as they walk to the dragon-like creatures~ I’m not sure who I’d consider most experienced when it comes to flirting; you, me, or Jack.

MASTER:

Probably Jack. ~replies, gesturing for Alia to follow closely as he can’t help but worry about losing her in such a big crowd~

ALIA:

~comes up and takes his hand, pointing up at the red dragon that’s nearly as tall as the humanoid beside it~ what’s that? ~asks in awe, watching as it paces the stage~

PERFORMER:

~speaks boldly to the crowd~ …you may want to take a step back, ladies and gentlemen!

DOCTOR:

Probably. Him introducing himself is a flirt by now. ~looks up at the large creature~ I can’t say I know what it is off the top of my head, though its appearance is similar to a dragon—a fictional creature humans made up.

ALIA:

~looks up at it in interest~

CROWD:

~shuffles back~

DRAGON:

~lithely comes up to the performer when it’s called. The creature breathes fire from its mouth and sets the man ablaze~

PERFORMER:

~hardly seems worried by it; after being enveloped by the dragon’s wings he emerges completely unharmed~

DOCTOR:

~grimaces slightly, chuckling and shaking his head after the man emerges, finding the whole act coincidentally familiar, watching with interest as he does find it intriguing~

ALIA:

~looks a little frightened at first, being reassured by the Master~

PERFORMER:

~speaks after a short round of applause~ thank you! Now Allanon here’s going to show you a few tricks.

ALLANON:

~sits on its hind legs, puffing a small spark directly above him that bursts apart like a mini firework~

ALIA:

~nudges the Doctor~ look, Daddy, he wears a collar just like you! ~gesturing to the accessory around the dragon’s neck that she’s just noticed~

DOCTOR:

~laughs lightly at that~ that he does! Never thought I’d compare myself to a dragon… ~watches the display as it is beautiful despite the uncanny representation~

ALIA:

~giggles happily~

ALLANON:

~unfolds his wings to their full span, about twice its own length, behind which the performer is hidden. Folds his wings back up again after a brief moment, and the performer has disappeared~

MASTER:

I thought dragons _were_ pure speculation, though. Never heard of another creature even this close in resemblance. ~comments doubtfully~

DOCTOR:

~shrugs~ I haven’t either, but I’ve been wrong in thinking of something as a myth before, why not dragons? ~finds the creature more interesting than the act by now~ it does fit the description.

MASTER:

I don’t know. I’m just not sure I trust it.

ALLANON:

~opens his wings again and takes off, swooping over the crowd and launching another firework above them, the embers falling into the crowd but looking more like harmless sparkles once they reach the people~

ALIA:

~tries to catch one~

DOCTOR:

It could be a hologram.. if I distrusted or disbelieved everything I didn’t understand, my life would be much more boring. ~notices Alia trying to catch the sparkles~ though I wouldn’t touch those if I were you.

ALIA:

~is staring at one in her hand, which doesn’t show any sign of its light dying out, and looks up at the Doctor~ huh? Why not?

DOCTOR:

Well, I suppose if you’ve already caught one they’re not dangerous… though the fact that it’s still glowing _is_ interesting. ~looks at the sparkle in Alia’s hand~ because light means energy, but the fact that you’re fine means it’s neither fire nor electricity.

ALIA:

~the light suddenly winks out after the Doctor’s statement, and Alia pouts~ it’s gone…

MASTER:

~looks over at where the sparkle used to be in suspicion, looking back up at the stage and realizing the show has moved on~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a blue-scaled dragon has replaced the previous one on stage, while another trainer with white hair comes out from behind a curtain at the back of the platform~

DOCTOR:

If I were to assume that this is all a trick, hologram would be my best guess. ~looks at the blue dragon~ but it is more fun to assume or at least pretend that they’re real dragons.

DRAGON:

~the blue dragon turns to look back at the Doctor, its eyes narrowing as it steps forward to the edge of the stage, a forked tongue flicking out almost threateningly~

TRAINER:

~goes over to see what the dragon’s focused on, seeing the Doctor and smiling~ you sir! Would you care to come up to the stage?

DOCTOR:

~shrugs, smiling slightly at the prospect of actually doing something with the “dragon”~ why not? ~walks up to the stage, looking to the trainer to see if he has more specific instruction regarding getting on stage and the dragon~

ALIA:

~watches the Doctor in excitement~

MASTER:

~seems somewhat worried~

TRAINER:

~the man leans down, extending a hand to help the Doctor up onto the stage. Since they’re closer to each other, it becomes obvious that this man also has a collar around his neck similar to that of Allanon’s~ come right on up!

DOCTOR:

~takes the man’s hand, easily climbing up with the man’s help, breathing in deeply once he gets on stage with the sneaking suspicion of a shape-shifting race, wondering if the fact that he has a collar on too was what caught the dragon’s eye though it could just be the neon orange jumpsuit~

TRAINER:

Alright then! Just introduce yourself to Raziel over here, and we can get started. ~herds the Doctor over to the dragon~

RAZIEL:

~turns to face him~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the scent on the stage seems a bit muddled as if unsure whether it’s one race or the other, which could be confirming the Doctor’s suspicions, or it might not be~

DOCTOR:

Alright then. ~turns to the dragon, smiling as he sees no reason to fear them~ hello Raziel, I’m the Doctor. ~extends his hand slightly in a friendly gesture~

RAZIEL:

~steps closer, sniffing the Doctor’s hand before licking it, the contact certainly feeling real and tangible. The dragon seems content with the Doctor’s presence~

TRAINER:

~comes up to the Doctor with a bright smile~ very good! Now stand here ~moves the Doctor so he’s facing the crowd~ like so ~and adjusts the Doctor’s hand to look like he’s holding something with open palms~

DOCTOR:

~just does as he’s told, not sure what’s going to happen but having taken an interest in the realistic dragons. Wonders why Raziel took an interest in him in particular, given how many species there are here in all of their wildly differing attire~

TRAINER:

Be sure to stay as still as possible, okay? ~peers at the Doctor for affirmation~

ALIA:

~waves enthusiastically at the Doctor from the audience~

DOCTOR:

Got it. ~smiles at Alia before focusing on staying still, knowing it’s impossible to be _perfectly_ still but trying his best~

TRAINER:

Great. ~steps back, motioning and giving a command to Raziel~

RAZIEL:

~the dragon steps forward to be in front of the Doctor but not so that his back is facing the audience, beginning to lick the Doctor’s hands with the intention of covering his palms with saliva~

DOCTOR:

~watches Raziel go through with the act, not moving as requested, finding himself consistently believing that the dragons and him aren’t all that different~

MASTER:

~telepathically asks the Doctor what he means by the comparison~

RAZIEL:

~finishes coating the Doctor’s hands and starts breathing a small, controlled stream of fire into them, which doesn’t burn him but feels comfortably warm, remaining ablaze and situated in the Doctor’s hands even after Raziel stops adding fire to it~

DOCTOR:

~looks almost fearful for a split second before he realizes that the saliva’s protecting him, looking at the fire that remains in his hands in wonder as he answers the Master by stating that the dragon’s dangerous but uses its abilities to entertain and show off instead~

MASTER:

~chuckles from where he stands in the crowd, thinking of how ‘entertaining’ the Doctor can be as the rest of the audience applauds~

TRAINER:

~gives Raziel another command~

RAZIEL:

~opens its mouth and presents its tongue~

TRAINER:

Go on, Raziel wants it back.

DOCTOR:

~carefully attempts to set the fire on Raziel’s tongue despite the drums urging him to try to figure out a way to use the fire himself~

RAZIEL:

~consumes the fire then brings his tongue back inside his mouth, letting out a ring-shaped puff of smoke and nuzzling the Doctor’s side~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the creature, petting his head gently, not knowing whether doing so is safe but knowing he’ll probably end up fine either way~

TRAINER:

~seems to have disappeared for the moment~

RAZIEL:

~continues to happily nuzzle the Doctor until the man returns after his brief absence~

TRAINER:

~clicks to the dragon to get him to stop~ alright; thank you for your participation, sir! You can go back.

DOCTOR:

Okay; thank you. ~walks to the edge of the stage, glancing briefly back at Raziel before easily hopping off of the stage, the impact light compared to what he’s come to expect, starting to walk back to Alia and the Master~

MASTER:

~seems worried, not paying attention as the man and Raziel continue with another act, preoccupied with looking at Alia’s hand~

ALIA:

~Alia herself looks distressed~

MASTER:

~calls the Doctor over~ Doctor, look at this. ~shows him Alia’s left hand, which has a bright red spot on it where the sparkle she had caught used to be~

DOCTOR:

Dammit… ~looks at the spot, his eyebrows furrowed in concern~ does it hurt, Alia? ~trying to determine whether it’s just a burn or if he needs to figure something out~

ALIA:

~she sniffs~ no… but it won’t come off!

DOCTOR:

Well It’s not a burn then… I’ll have to ask. ~steps towards the stage, yelling so he knows he’s heard~ excuse me? Sorry for interrupting but I have reason to believe Allanon’s act hurt someone.

TRAINER:

~freezes, ordering Raziel away and looking out to the Doctor~ yes? What’s happened, then?

RAZIEL:

~disappears behind the curtain~

DOCTOR:

I don’t think it’s a burn; my daughter caught one of the sparks from when Allanon flew out and there’s a spot on her hand now. ~gestures to Alia~ it doesn’t hurt her, but it is of concern.

TRAINER:

Ah, that? Don’t be bothered by it; harmless, it’ll be gone within the hour. ~makes dismissive gestures as he talks, then looking to the crowd as a whole~ we’ll be taking a break then, folks. Feel free to check out the other exhibits, or stick around for more! ~gives a small bow, heading back to the curtain~

DOCTOR:

Alright. Thanks! ~shrugs, turning back to the Master and Alia~ I guess it’s not of concern unless it gets worse. ~checks Jack’s watch, realizing they should be sure to keep track of time~ so, where should we go next?

WATCH:

~reads around four a.m.~

MASTER:

Not sure, ~he replies, still seeming a little distrusting of recent events~ how about we just take a look around?

DOCTOR:

~his palms start to sting, not that obviously at first~ Sure. ~starts walking in a seemingly random direction, wiping the saliva off of his hands on his jumpsuit subconsciously as he walks, not noticing the stinging in his hands right away. However the stinging gets worse after he wipes his hands~

MASTER:

~takes Alia’s hand and walks after the Doctor, looking around at different performers~

ENVIRONMENT:

~most of the performers resemble humans, and a few other places showcase fantastical things all from different backgrounds of mythology~

DOCTOR:

~stops to inspect his hands, the stinging having gotten bad enough for him to worry over it, though he’s still intrigued by all of the supposedly mythical beings. The Doctor’s palms are slowly approaching the same shade as Alia’s dot, starting to itch a bit too~

MASTER:

What is it? ~asks when they stop, peering over the Doctor’s shoulder and seeing his hands~ what the…

DOCTOR:

The thing’s saliva… except this feels like… sun burn? I suppose that makes the most sense, I _was_ holding fire. ~thinks about it for a moment, finding that his conclusion is the only one that makes sense—to him, at least~

MASTER:

~looks closely at the Doctor’s hands, finding that the one he used to pet the dragon looks more red than the other~ what about what happened to Alia? She wasn’t holding _fire,_ per say. But it did the same thing.

DOCTOR:

I assume it’s different sort of energy output, given the fact that whatever she was holding was glowing—skin can react to any unfamiliar or overwhelming energy… your spot doesn’t hurt through, right Alia?

ALIA:

~looks at her hand, then shakes her head~ no, Daddy.

MASTER:

~looks at Alia’s spot for a moment, theorizing~ it’s possible that hers is too small for the effects to be felt.

DOCTOR:

It really does just feel like I got sunburn. I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine. They wouldn’t put an audience in real danger, it’s a show… what I find odd is how many mythical creatures are here.

MASTER:

~hesitantly lets it go, taking his mind off of the ‘burns’~ earlier you were saying—thinking, rather—that maybe they’re shape shifters. I’d say that’s a reasonable guess…

DOCTOR:

Considering their frankly confusing scents and the fact that both of them had a collar, it’s my best guess… though they may be able to say the same about me.

MASTER:

~chuckles~

WOMAN:

~a woman in a white robe approaches them through the crowd, smiling in a friendly way~ hello, gentlemen. I couldn’t help but notice the nasty burn you’ve got there. ~looks down at the Doctor’s hands~

MASTER:

~giving her a suspicious look~

WOMAN:

~gestures behind her~ we’ve got a medical room just over there; I’d be happy to help you with it.

DOCTOR:

Oh; ~smiles in a friendly way at the woman~ thank you for the concern, but it’s not too bad of a burn. I can handle it when I get back to my ship if it becomes an issue. ~honestly doesn’t trust the woman, making sure not be visibly wary~

WOMAN:

Oh, come on; I insist-

ENVIRONMENT:

~a hand grabs the Doctor’s sleeve from behind, pulling him away from the woman~

MASTER:

~follows quickly out of panic, pulling Alia along behind him~

JACK:

~turns the Doctor around once they’re far enough away, looking like he’s got a few red spots of his own on his neck and cheek~ Don’t trust them, Doctor. Something’s not right here.

DOCTOR:

Yeah. ~lifts a hand so Jack can see his burn~ I noticed. I wasn’t going to let her treat it, I was just trying to be nice about it… we were with the dragons, by the way.

JACK:

~speaking with casual sarcasm~ yeah, and I was with Mary Poppins, but they’re all the same. Aren’t they? ~looks around at the performers~

MASTER:

~catches up and slows to a relieved stop when he sees that it was just Jack~

DOCTOR:

~confused, looks around at the different performers to see what Jack’s talking about, smiling slightly~

JACK:

~sighs~ they _look_ different, but they aren’t different. ~looks back at the Doctor~ you’ve got to know what I’m talking about. ~puts a hand on the Timelord’s shoulder, raising his eyebrows in inquiry~ I’m not drunk, right?

DOCTOR:

~can’t help but chuckle at the question~ I can’t say I monitor your drinking habits; but no, Jack, you seem pretty sober to me. Anyways, I had the theory of shape-shifting species earlier, if we’re thinking along the same lines.

MASTER:

Hey! ~calls out angrily, whipping around to face someone who’s already gone into the crowd, panic adding to his anger when it becomes obvious Alia is no longer by his side~

DOCTOR:

~instantly understands the Master’s panic, looking around himself~ was she following you when you chased after me?

MASTER:

Yes, she was just here, someone came and-… ~stops, spotting the someone heading away from them in the crowd~ there!

JACK:

~takes a moment to figure it out, realizing what’s going on~ what the hell are we waiting for, then? ~starts pushing through the crowd in the direction indicated by the Master~

MASTER:

~follows behind~

DOCTOR:

~follows them both, not hesitating to push people aside when necessary in his haste, going as fast as he can through the crowd~

MASTER:

~loses sight of the man~

ALLANON:

~suddenly emerges from the crowd, his wings knocking over a few nearby people when he opens them, taking off with something held closely to his chest as he flies in the same direction, easily getting ahead of his pursuers and disappearing into a white construction at the end of the room, which has a symbol for medical care on the side~

DOCTOR:

That little- ~breaks into a full sprint, pushing people aside and knocking some over entirely as he runs toward the medical center, not stopping to apologize to anyone~

MASTER & JACK:

~they speed up to keep up with the Doctor until they reach the building, after which Jack is panting from the effort~

CROWD:

~the people in the crowd seem angry at them for a few moments, but then things more or less go back to normal~

DOCTOR:

~panting lightly himself, goes to open the doors to the medical center, anger clouding his mind fueled by the drums~

ENVIRONMENT:

~inside it looks like an average medical room, with cots and cabinets and other tools; by the front is a desk, behind which two women in white robes are talking, although that stops as soon as the Doctor enters. The floor is paneled, and a few claw marks have been smudged across it yet Allanon is nowhere to be seen~

DOCTOR:

~falters at the scenery, shaking his head and turning to the women by the front desk~ where is my daughter? A monster would have carried her in just a moment ago, I’m certain you know what I’m talking about. ~it’s clear in his tone how on edge the Doctor is~ and you had better have an answer I like.

MASTER:

~follows the Doctor inside, with Jack coming in next~

WOMAN:

~one of the women blinks at the Doctor for a moment before answering cheerfully~ there you are! We were waiting for you; of course, you can come right down. ~she walks over to the far left corner of the room, kicking at the panel there and it slides back to reveal a dark shaft with a ladder below~

MASTER:

~looks at it warily~

DOCTOR:

~grimaces uncomfortably at the sight of the shaft, trying to keep sounding angry—if just to not sound afraid~ you didn’t answer my question; where, is, Alia.

WOMAN:

~just smiles back~ right down here. My apologies, sir. We wouldn’t dare separate families.

MASTER:

~glares at her and the other woman, any trust he would’ve had for them being nonexistent by now~

DOCTOR:

~mutters~ that’s what I’m afraid of. ~under his breath, walking to the shaft a little unsteadily, looking down it before speaking in a way that can be clearly heard~ I guess you leave me with no choice… ~gets down onto the ladder, half expecting for it to collapse and send him plummeting~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the ladder does not collapse, and in fact is rather sturdy as if it was rarely even used; the air below smells of spices and many different types of aliens~

JACK:

~comes up to the shaft as well, ready to follow the Doctor down~

MASTER:

~approaches the shaft but is intercepted by the woman~ what’s the meaning of this? ~he snarls at her in response~

DOCTOR:

~notices what’s going on~ he’s part of the family too—he’s Alia’s father. ~climbs down the ladder easily, hoping he doesn’t have to go back up to get the Master let down though he’s willing to do so, stepping aside once he’s all the way down~

WOMAN:

~smiles in understanding~ my apologies. ~she grabs hold of the Master’s wrist to lead him to the shaft~

MASTER:

~dislikes the action and finds it unnecessary~

JACK:

~follows the Doctor down the ladder~

ENVIRONMENT:

~at the bottom there’s a wide hallway with doors on either side, probably the ship’s storage area; a moderately-sized rodent wearing a studded collar scuttles past them and heads down the hallway~

DOCTOR:

Alright, my turn to ask if this is some sort of acid trip… ~looks around himself~ I wouldn’t be surprised if She drugged me again…

MASTER:

~climbs down the ladder after Jack, holding his wrist~ Doctor, we’re not in Aperture.

ENVIRONMENT:

~a wail comes from further down the hallway~

DOCTOR:

Yeah, well, trusting what I _think_ is going on hasn’t worked too well for me so far, has it? ~starts to stride towards the noise, figuring that if it’s not Alia it’s at least someone who needs help~

MASTER:

If you’re going to start questioning reality there’s nothing I can do to convince you. ~follows, with Jack in tow~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the panel above the ladder slides closed, and all of the light in the hallway is extinguished. After a brief moment the hallway is illuminated by fire that Allanon is spouting angrily in the Doctor’s direction~

ALLANON:

~stands guard by the door on the left that the wailing is coming from~

DOCTOR:

Alia!? ~runs in the direction of the dragon, attempting to run around the fire, not really knowing how he intends to fight a ‘dragon’~

ALIA:

~climbs up to look out the window in the door, spotting the Doctor~ Daddy!? ~her voice is a little muffled through the door, but understandable~

ALLANON:

~stops the fire and lunges after the Doctor to try and either bite him or catch him in his front claws~

MASTER:

~uses Allanon’s distraction to slip past the dragon and get to the door~

DOCTOR:

~gets badly scratches across his chest when he jumps back away from Allanon before clicking at the dragon with a smirk, mocking what the trainer who may have easily been Allanon did as if to taunt him~

ALLANON:

~the dragon snarls angrily at the taunt, standing up and turning to face the Doctor and opening his jaws, only getting out a brief puff of fire before he collapses, having been hit by a charge from a stun gun in Jack’s hands~

DOCTOR:

~looks to Jack with a smile~ thanks. I forgot I’m probably the only one unarmed other than Alia here. ~glances down at his bleeding chest, figuring he’ll patch himself up at the TARDIS~

JACK:

I’m the only one who’s armed. ~sheathes the gun, figuring the Doctor will figure out why the Master isn’t armed on his own, looking around in the near-pitch black darkness~

MASTER:

~seems to manage to get the door open, as it’s followed by the squeaking of hinges and Alia whimpering in distress~

ALIA:

Daddy? Father? It’s dark…

DOCTOR:

It’s alright, Alia… though normally I’d sonic my way through this, we’ll find our way out. I’m just glad we got to you. ~listens for movement or any indication of an exit~ besides; in the dark you hear more and smell more and overall sense more beyond what your eyes can detect.

ALIA:

~sniffles~ okay.

MASTER:

~turns around toward the sound of the Doctor’s voice, smelling blood and asking in concern~ Doctor, are you alright?

ENVIRONMENT:

~the only sound is some halfhearted shuffling in the room next to Alia’s and across from them on the opposite side of the hallway~

DOCTOR:

Yeah, I got scratched by Allanon pretty bad but I’ll be fine. ~brings a hand up to his chest, finding that he’s bleeding more than he thought~ though I do recommend we get back to the TARDIS as soon as possible.

ALIA:

~comments in an angrily flustered tone, a squeak sneaking into her voice~ Allanon’s a _mean_ dragon!

JACK:

~still looking around, replies~ yes, and he could wake up any minute, so we really do need to get out. ~starts feeling back along the wall, calling once he’s a little further down~ we could try to get back up through where we came in… I’m certain it was this direction.

DOCTOR:

~follows Jack’s footsteps, crossing his arms over his chest for fear of losing a lot of blood, not remotely worried about the ruined Aperture jumpsuit~

MASTER:

~leads Alia along behind him, becoming increasingly concerned for the Doctor~

JACK:

~gets to the ladder and climbs up, prying at the panel and jostling it a bit~ hold on… ~draws his gun, firing at the panel and then easily sliding it back, bringing light into the room~

DOCTOR:

And for once I’m glad you brought a gun. ~lets the Master and Alia get on the ladder before him, grimacing slightly when he climbs~

MASTER:

~follows Jack up to the top, helping Alia before himself, and looking around at the empty medical room cautiously~

ALIA:

~notices the extent of the Doctor’s injury in the full lighting, looking a mixture of scared and like she’s about to cry~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at Alia~ hey, Alia, don’t be upset. I’m fine, we just have to get to the TARDIS. ~starts to carefully walks towards the door they came in through~

ALIA:

~sniffles, holding back her tears~ are you sure?

ENVIRONMENT:

~a roar comes from below them~

JACK:

~quickly goes over to pull the panel back into place, firmly stepping down on it and holding his gun over his shoulder as he orders sharply~ you three; go. Quickly. This might not be the only exit.

DOCTOR:

~nods in understanding, opening the door and stepping out at a stride~ yes, I’m sure. In the same way that I’m sure Jack will be fine if we run to the TARDIS now.

MASTER:

~hurriedly ushers Alia out with them~

ALIA:

~she replies nervously~ but… Allanon might get Jack…

MASTER:

~after a loud clatter from behind them, breaks into a run, leading Alia along too~

CROWD:

~some of the people in the crowd notice the Doctor’s injury, stepping back in surprise~

DOCTOR:

~runs as well towards the TARDIS, keeping pace with the Master and Alia~ trust me, Jack’s fine. I can explain why back at the TARDIS.

ALLANON:

~another roar from Allanon comes from behind them, seeming to still be back in the medical room~

ALIA:

~holds them back slightly, not capable of running as fast as her parents~

DOCTOR:

~keeps pace with Alia despite her inability to run particularly fast, starting to grow a little lightheaded from blood loss, stumbling slightly when they get to the TARDIS and opening the door~

MASTER:

Doctor- ~blurts out in concern, letting go of Alia’s hand once they’re inside the TARDIS, then closing the door and locking it~

TARDIS:

~is instantly distressed, saying that she’s moved the medical room to the first door across the hallway for convenience~

DOCTOR:

Thanks. ~responds to the TARDIS verbally, explaining to the Master as he walks to the med room~ she moved the room for me.

MASTER:

Great. ~sounds thankful, jogging up to the Doctor and hurrying him along to the room, opening the door and quickly starting to look for bandages or cloths with a worried expression frozen to his face~

ALIA:

~peers inside after them curiously, not having seen the Master act like this before~

DOCTOR:

~is a bit confused himself for the same reasons as Alia, striding up to and opening the drawer that he keeps the bandages in, taking them out along with a cloth to clean his wounds before closing the drawer~

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor indignantly as he’s obviously more familiar with the room, turning around and backing the Doctor up to the table before firmly taking the items out of the other Timelord’s hands~ you’re _not_ allowed to treat yourself. ~sounds angry, but is really just worrying over the Doctor; tries to unzip the tattered remains of the Doctor’s jumpsuit, decidedly pulling apart the zipper itself~

DOCTOR:

Alright… ~sounds surprised but just lets the Master go about what he’s doing~ thanks. ~lets his hands rest on the edge of the table behind him, watching the Master though he’s slowly becoming dizzy~

MASTER:

~brings the cloth up to start cleaning away the blood, realizing the Doctor’s going to just continue to bleed, grabbing the Doctor’s shoulder and pressing him backwards~ lie down. ~speaks bluntly as he wipes away as much blood as the cloth can hold~

DOCTOR:

There are more of those… in the drawer. ~compliantly lies down on the table on his back, wondering how Jack’s doing with Allanon~

MASTER:

Sh. ~silences the Doctor, though he walks over and retrieved a few more cloths as indicated, returning to finish cleaning the wounds and look them over, his eyebrows furrowing~ these are bad… it looks like you’ll need stitches.

DOCTOR:

I think that’s… in the cabinet to the left of the one I got your cold medicine out of. That or the one to the right. ~figures telling the Master where things are does more good than bad despite the Master sh’ing him~

MASTER:

~goes over to the area, opening both the right and the left cabinet to look through at the same time, quickly finding what he’s looking for and coming back over to the Doctor. Looks up, seeing Alia watching by the door and deciding to get this done and over with, starting to stitch up the first wound~

DOCTOR:

~keeps himself still, not letting himself grimace in pain as the Master stitches him up, knowing showing pain would just make Alia worry more~

MASTER:

~doesn’t pause until he’s finished stitching all the Doctor’s wounds, letting out a small sigh of relief~ you can sit up now. ~puts the supplies back where he found them, an goes to retrieve the bandages~

DOCTOR:

~sits up, personally thinking bandages with stitches is overkill but not saying so, figuring he should let the Master treat him to whatever extent the blonde Timelord finds necessary~

MASTER:

~glowers at the Doctor, insisting that it’s necessary as he bandages the wounds as well, not even attempting to do anything about the Doctor’s ruined jumpsuit~

ALIA:

~creeps into the room, asking in concern~ are you alright, Daddy? …and what about Jack?

DOCTOR:

~answers Alia while the Master bandages his wounds~ a long time ago, one of my companions—Rose, her name was—took in the power of Time itself and used it to revive Jack. The problem was she’s human and had little control over that sort of power, so Jack can’t die anymore. And me? I’m always alright.

ALIA:

~she walks around the table to face the Doctor, smiling at his explanation and coming forward to hug him once the Master finishes~ that’s great! ~looks over at the Master cheerfully~ thank you, Father.

MASTER:

~smiles back at her, but doesn’t respond~

DOCTOR:

~hugs Alia back, smiling as well though in a slightly artificial way at first~ I should probably go get clothing that’s not torn up and bloody from the wardrobe…

MASTER:

~nods~ Alright; but take Alia with you. ~looks out the open door to the room, into the console room with a grave expression~ I’m going to try and help Jack.

DOCTOR:

~hesitates before responding~ okay… be careful. ~looks concerned, walking out into the hallway to walk to the wardrobe~ come on, Alia.

ALIA:

~hesitates too, speaking to the Master~ see you later, father. ~bounds to catch up with the Doctor, looking up at him and asking curiously as they walk~ what’s the wardrobe?

MASTER:

~walks straight, heading out of the TARDIS~

DOCTOR:

It’s where I keep all of my clothing—though GLaDOS took what I was wearing before this darned jumpsuit… ~sounds distant when he speaks, walking absentmindedly towards the wardrobe~ I have plenty in there because the TARDIS has been my home for around 900 years.

ALIA:

~furrows her eyebrows thoughtfully at the mention of GLaDOS~ hm; Daddy? What’s GLaDOS?

GLaDOS:

~a low, robotic chuckle comes from the speakers~

ALIA:

~grabs the Doctor’s arm as she looks around fearfully~

DOCTOR:

Remember the scientist I told you about? ~speaks nervously now, not giving Alia his usual reassurance~ that’s GLaDOS. Although, technically speaking, “GLaDOS” stands for Genetic Life-form and Disk Operating System.

ALIA:

Oh. I remember now. ~holds the Doctor’s arm tightly as they walk, speaking quietly after a moment~ was that her?

DOCTOR:

Yes. ~realizes he explained Jack in front of Her, wishing he could think of a different topic for conversation~

ALIA:

~continues to look around herself, though she no longer seems afraid; after a moment she looks up and sticks her tongue out indignantly~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles lightheartedly as they approach the wardrobe at Alia’s actions, surprised that She didn’t feel the need to really say anything~

ALIA:

~looks back at the Doctor with a smile when he chuckles, loosening her grip on the Doctor’s arm and noticing the doorway to the wardrobe in awe~ is that the wardrobe?

DOCTOR:

Yup! ~walks in~ feel free to wander about—stay in the wardrobe, though… and try not to knock things down. I’m going to find something that shouldn’t take me long.

ALIA:

~follows the Doctor in, looking around in wonder~ woah! This is way bigger than the store we went to!

DOCTOR:

Like I said, I’ve been putting my clothes in here for 900 years. ~goes up the steps~ also, I am one for showing off.

ALIA:

~watches the Doctor go up, grinning and bounding off to search through the clothes~

~•~

DOCTOR:

~after a few minutes, he comes back down in his old dark brown suit, not having bothered with a tie, fully expecting for his clothes to be taken from him again when he gets back to Aperture~

ALIA:

~ventures out of the racks of clothing, smiling up at the Doctor and spreading her arms in a wide gesture to display the cream, red-trimmed suit jacket and multicolored scarf she’s wearing over her usual clothes, both of which being much too big for her~ what do you think, Daddy?

DOCTOR:

~laughs happily~ I remember wearing those—two of my past regenerations! The… fourth and fifth? I hardly keep track. ~mentally checks on the Master out of concern~

ALIA:

Regenerations? ~asks in confusion, looking between her left and right arms before lowering them and meeting the Doctor’s gaze in curiosity~

MASTER:

~responds after a moment, reporting that he’s met up with Jack, who’s managed to get Allanon into one of those airtight rooms Alia was being kept in, and they’ve decided to try to investigate further~

DOCTOR:

~tells the Master to keep him updated, feeling as if he shouldn’t bring Alia back out however much he’d love to investigate as well, sending the Master an image of Alia right now in his old clothes~ yes; Timelords can sort of trick death if it’s slow enough and the process we go through when we do so is called regeneration. After a Timelord regenerates, they look like and sound like and often act like a different person. You only really keep your identity and your memories. A Timelord _does,_ however, have limited regeneration energy and can normally only regenerate 11 times which gives me 12 lifetimes or 12 regenerations as I refer to them as.

MASTER:

~appreciates the gesture, but politely asks the Doctor not to distract him while he’s in such a risky situation~

ALIA:

Oh, okay; that’s cool! But, um, what’s eleven and twelve?

DOCTOR:

Oh, they’re numbers. Numbers are a way of counting things or saying how many things there are. You are one person, you and I are two people, and so on.

ALIA:

~looks down at herself, looking from the suit jacket to the scarf as if accounting for their presence before focusing on the Doctor once more~ how many numbers are there?

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the question, responding~ infinitely many; otherwise you wouldn’t be able to count everything.

ALIA:

~looks a little overwhelmed~ but… how can you know all of them? What’s after two?

MASTER:

~allowing himself to be more open to the Doctor, expresses shocked disgust and explains that the reason the hallway smelled like spices is because there’s a kitchen in the back—if it could be called a kitchen. The shapeshifter performers seem to be using the circus as a way to attract their prey~

DOCTOR:

~responds with intrigued understanding, asking why they’d try to use human mythology this far from Earth when humans have hardly gotten off of Earth with a level of concern~ they’re not hard to learn, really. It goes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12…

ALIA:

~looks worried, countering~ that _sounds_ hard! ~slips the suit jacket off of her shoulders as she speaks~

MASTER:

~doesn’t know the answer to the Doctor’s question for sure, but takes a guess that maybe they might use telepathy to cater to the guests’ interests~

DOCTOR:

~counters that that would only work if they were the only four guests in the area as there can’t be any other humans here—and certainly no other Timelords~ don’t worry, I told you I was over 900 years old, and that’s a very big number. You aren’t even one year old. You’ll learn faster than you think, you _are_ Timelord, after all.

MASTER:

~backs off, elaborating that what he meant was that the creatures could read a few minds and use that to decide what to shapeshift into~

ALIA:

Can you teach me? ~takes the scarf off, draping it over the nearest rack and looking over at the Doctor pleadingly~

DOCTOR:

Of course I can! ~smiling warmly, seems a bit unsettled on the mental conversation but figuring the Master knows what he’s doing, trying to stay conflict-avoidant~ the first ten numbers are the most important: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. 0 is nothing and the rest of the numbers count up by ones. These also are the basis for all the numbers in the honestly well-designed human number system… I have to have a white board or chalk board somewhere so you can see it…

ALIA:

~listens intently, then counts the numbers out on her fingers, holding up her fully spread hands and looking proud of herself~ that’s how many are my hands! ~starts to bound towards the exit, figuring the Doctor’s going to head somewhere with a white board or chalk board~

DOCTOR:

Yes. You have ten fingers. ~follows her out into the hallway, walking down the hall away from the console to a nearby closet that’s large and cluttered with items of no one particular sort, dragging an old chalk board out that still has smudged Gallifreyan on it from who-knows-what, erasing it~

ALIA:

Ten? So one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine; ten… ~counts her fingers again, coming to a stop and looking up when the chalkboard is brought out of the closet~

DOCTOR:

The Master and I _should_ probably teach you Gallifreyan at some point as it is the language of the Timelords, but we’ll stick with English for now. So… ~puts the numbers 0-9 at the top of the board, adding 10 under 0~ this is what 0 through 10 look like when written.

ALIA:

~sits down on her knees, watching intently as she figures out which direction to read it, asking after she’s finished that task~ why’s the ten under the zero?

DOCTOR:

So I can show you how humans group their numbers in tens. You can see that ten looks like one then zero—well, that’s one ten and zero ones, so if I were to continue… ~writes 11 under 1, 12 under 2 and so on, writing 20 under 10 and pausing to see if Alia gets what he’s saying~

ALIA:

~takes a moment, looking over what the Doctor’s written multiple times before seeming to realize what he was getting at~ oh! So the numbers go up until nine and then back to zero… which makes the ten into a…? ~looks at the twenty in confusion~

DOCTOR:

Twenty. Which is two tens just like two is two ones. So, so far on here we have ~verbally lists all the numbers from 0-20 slowly so that Alia can follow along on the board~

ALIA:

~nods after the Doctor’s done, smiling cheerfully~ got it!

MASTER:

~distractedly informs the Doctor that they’re getting back to the TARDIS now~

DOCTOR:

~asks how it went, relaying the information to Alia, smiling at her~ Jack and your father are on their way back to the TARDIS now, too.

MASTER:

~seems unable to respond coherently, his focus extremely clouded, though he manages to get across the fact that him and Jack weren’t able to finish investigating~

ALIA:

~gasps~ Yay! Are we gonna go somewhere else again?

DOCTOR:

~asks if they’re okay, concerned by the Master’s mental state~ maybe, we’ll have to see what state Jack and your Father are in.

ALIA:

~stands up, looking somewhat worried and starting to head down the hallway toward the console room~ let’s go meet up with them! ~smiles again~

MASTER:

~doesn’t have an answer for the Doctor but it’s safe to assume it’s a ‘no’~

DOCTOR:

~is now visibly concerned, walking along with Alia and trying not to let every emotion be turned to anger by the goddamned drums~

ALIA:

~looking up at the Doctor’s expression, hangs back a little warily as they approach the console room~

MASTER:

~the door opens and the Master stumbles in with Jack’s support, letting himself collapse to the grated floor as he shudders violently and uncontrollably, curling up to muffle his occasional whimper~

DOCTOR:

~runs over, on his knees next to the Master in a matter of seconds~ what happened? ~knows it’s possible—even likely—that the Master’s just falling apart again, not acknowledging the fact~

JACK:

~takes his eyes off of the Master to look over at the Doctor and respond, closing the door behind him~ he just started shaking all of a sudden, and after that all I could get out of him was gibberish. Neither of us are hurt.

ALIA:

~peers around the corner, her eyes widening in distress~

DOCTOR:

~nods in understanding, wrapping his arms around the Master in a comforting gesture before looking up to the ceiling~ and if _you_ have anything to do with it-… ~cuts off, shaking his head angrily before mentally trying to calm the Master or at least get some idea of what’s wrong this time if anything new, running a hand through the Master’s hair~ shhh…

GLaDOS:

*Well, this looks to me like he’s still going through withdrawal; and if you want to blame that on me I suppose your reasoning is sound.*

ALIA:

~hides behind the doorframe when She speaks~

JACK:

~looks extremely uncomfortable~

MASTER:

~simply lies there breathing heavily, failing to influence his own shaking despite his efforts~

DOCTOR:

Goddamnit Master… ~turns to look to the doorway to the hallway~ Alia, go look over the numbers; see what you can remember. This shouldn’t take too long, don’t worry.

ALIA:

~peers around the corner, looking a little unsure~ um… okay, Daddy… ~she goes off~

JACK:

~looks to the Doctor warily~ and what is ‘this’, exactly?

DOCTOR:

Depends on whether or not she’s being a lying bitch… however believable Her claim is, I can’t-… not without being certain. ~looks to the Master, thinking up something simple yet vague enough to work ideally in the situation~ so… yes or no: do you need it?

MASTER:

~Looks over at the Doctor with genuine fear in his expression, forcing himself to sit up on his forearms despite how weak he seems to be~ I-… I c-can’t… ~retches, covering his mouth and managing to keep himself composed~

DOCTOR:

Oh for god’s sake, if this is about your addiction we both know you neet it just by the shape you’re in right now! I have no clue what you did before to make it subside but I do know that there is no cure for the affects of withdrawal besides the obvious! And don’t go through how I don’t have to do it for you; just tell me whether it needs to happen!

MASTER:

~without taking his hand away from his mouth, gives a hesitant nod, mentally confirming that he’s answering the Doctor’s initial question~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, calming his tone~ alright. Do you want to take care of it yourself, or do you want me to? You know I’ll be fine with either one. ~expects a mental response by now, disregarding Jack’s presence for the moment~

MASTER:

~his response comes out in a growl—a low, guttural sound in the back of his throat—but it’s the clearest thing he’s said since him and Jack arrived back to the TARDIS~ neither.

DOCTOR:

~just rolls with the information he’s given by now~ I can’t object to that as long as you’ll be okay; and by okay I do mainly mean alive by now. The reason we didn’t stop in the very beginning was because of how bad it was.

MASTER:

I’ll… be… ~sounds like he was going to say “fine”, but doesn’t get to, his hand gripping the top of his shirt before he falls back to the floor, his eyes drifting closed as he goes unconscious~

ALIA:

~peeks back around the corner again~ Daddy, I’m done-…

JACK:

~strides out to her, speaking to her quietly and letting himself shield what’s going on in the console room~

DOCTOR:

You idiot… then again, I can’t say I’d do any different. ~mentally asks where the TARDIS put the bedroom when she moved the med room across the hall~

JACK:

~seems to have succeeded in getting Alia to head back toward the chalk board, looking back at the Doctor and the Master apologetically before following her~

TARDIS:

~responds that she went ahead and switched the rooms back once the Doctor was finished using it~

DOCTOR:

~manages to pick the Master up with a little difficulty, figuring he can’t help the Master much while he’s unconscious anyway, carrying the blond Timelord into the bedroom and setting him on the bed, putting a rubbish bin that was already in the room next to the bed~ you had better be fine…

MASTER:

~wakes up again after a few minutes, immediately grimacing and looking panicked, grabbing at his chest as he fights to breathe~

DOCTOR:

~slaps the Master a short moment after he’s conscious again, not holding back in the slightest despite what the Master had said~

MASTER:

~doesn’t cry out, or speak, simply catching his breath and bringing a hand up to his cheek as he looks at the Doctor with tears in his eyes, like he’s just been betrayed~

DOCTOR:

Don’t give me any of that, I’m not going to let you kill yourself through the symptoms of withdrawal. And don’t tell me you would have been fine unless you can tell me why I should believe you. ~is standing beside the bed, looking at the Master with a purposefully blank expression~

MASTER:

~seems extremely weak, taking a moment to respond in a small voice~ I was fine… last time… ~curls in on himself, knowing that’s not going to pass as an excuse, tensing up in anticipation as his whole body shivers~

DOCTOR:

Well it didn’t take you a whole lot of effort to breathe or stay conscious last time, did it? ~punctuates his sentence with a punch to the Master’s side, careful not to do any real damage~ I love you, Master, but you’re like me in the fact that you’re a godammned idiot sometimes. ~turns to leave~

MASTER:

~the punch turns him toward the bed slightly, and he decidedly doesn’t say anything; closes his eyes and relaxes when the Doctor turns away, remaining sprawled face-down on the bed~

DOCTOR:

~walks out of the room, his gaze fixed on the floor in front of him as he closes the door behind him and walks toward where he had left the chalkboard~

TARDIS:

~suddenly rocks sideways, tipping back and feeling considerably annoyed at being manhandled as such~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the chalk board falls over~

ALIA:

~seemed like she had been enthusiastically showing and explaining to Jack the numbers she learned before they were interrupted~

DOCTOR:

So… ~looks up from the floor at Jack, his expression still uncharacteristically blank~ should we dematerialize and head back to Torchwood or see what we can sort out here?

JACK:

~looks back to the Doctor, a little unsettled by his emotionless expression~ um… considering whatever that was, it’s probably best if we head back; I bet we’ve got those shape shifters after us by now. ~tilts his head slightly~ oh and, could I have my watch back?

DOCTOR:

Oh, sure. ~takes the watch off, tossing it to Jack and giving a little smile before turning and striding back to the console room~

JACK:

~catches it, not sure whether the Doctor’s smile should reassure him or frighten him, but follows the Doctor and gestures for Alia to do the same~

MASTER:

~stumbles out of the bedroom, steadying himself and going to intercept the Doctor with a desperate look~ Doctor, I… I want the drums back.

DOCTOR:

Alright… but know I would have done what I did either way. ~carefully opens the drums to the Master, knowing he’ll have to leave the other Timelord supposedly to fall apart again soon enough~

MASTER:

~comes forward to wrap his arms around the Doctor, holding him closely~ I know. ~tenses slightly, drawing the noise back into his own mind and almost forgetting to block them off from the Doctor again, but eventually he does that as well~

DOCTOR:

~hugs the Master back, relaxing a bit physically and mentally before he backs off, smiling faintly but more genuinely than before, speaking in a gentle tone~ come on; we’re going back to Torchwood.

MASTER:

Alright. ~sees Jack and Alia behind them, giving a small smile and turning around to head into the console room~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the door rattles and the floor rocks again~

ALIA:

~has to cling to Jack to keep herself upright~

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master into the console room, going to put the coordinates for Torchwood in and dematerialize, knowing he probably owes Jack some explanation of what happened~

TARDIS:

~after the Doctor puts in the coordinates for Torchwood, they change into a completely different set of coordinates and the TARDIS seems confused~

ALIA:

Why can’t we go someplace fun again? ~asks with faint disappointment~

JACK:

~looks a little offended at her comment~

DOCTOR:

Hold up, let’s make sure we can get back to Torchwood before we try anything else. ~looks at the coordinates, fully expecting for them to lead to Aperture and trying to set them back to Torchwood~

 


	7. Family Trap

TARDIS:

~the coordinates, definitely set in Aperture, seem locked into the system and the Doctor’s attempts at changing them fail~

MASTER:

~comes over, looking at the monitor in concern~

DOCTOR:

Well, I might rather take my chances with the dragons… ~sighs, shaking his head sorrowfully~ or any number of my old enemies, to be frank, but I suppose we haven’t much choice really.

JACK:

~looks worried~

ALIA:

~bounds over to the Doctor and asks curiously~ what do you mean, Daddy?

MASTER:

~rechecks the coordinates, realizing where they are~

TARDIS:

~the takeoff lever pulls itself~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles, the action turning into a sob~ apparently, we’re taking a detour… I’m sorry. ~looks up from the console at Jack~ _She_ has control over the TARDIS; we’re going to Aperture.

JACK:

~looks genuinely scared for a second~

ALIA:

~clings to the Doctor’s arm~ Daddy… ~speaks warily, her voice bordering a whine~

GLaDOS:

*I just couldn’t help myself. Four heads are better than one, wouldn’t you think? Especially when one of them… can’t die. Fascinating.*

MASTER:

~seems less worried than he should be, denying the Doctor’s apology and saying it’s not necessary~

DOCTOR:

~looks down at the console, fighting back tears~ you monster… I should have made sure you’d stay dead; I should have launched bloody missiles from UNIT and destroyed the whole damned facility… you lying, heartless, retched excuse for a human.

TARDIS:

~shudders to a stop~

JACK:

~looks at his wrist for the vortex manipulator but finds he left it at Torchwood, swearing under his breath~

GLaDOS:

*Why thank you. You’ve been quite observant.*

MASTER:

~rubs the Doctor’s back gently~

ALIA:

~whimpers and hides her face in the Doctor’s arm~

DOCTOR:

Well, if we just stand here for too long she’ll just make us leave, so… I guess there’s nothing left to do but walk out there. ~looks up to the ceiling~ though I do hope you realize this means our deal’s off.

GLaDOS:

*Oh, yes, certainly. I was only humoring you with accepting that silly deal anyway.*

ALIA:

~tightens her hold, starting to cut off circulation in the Doctor’s arm at this point~ Daddy, I-I’m scared…

MASTER:

~goes up to the door, curiously peering outside and seeming exceedingly intrigued by the facility’s new lobby~

DOCTOR:

It’s okay, Alia… I’m scared too. ~looks over at Jack~ welcome to hell, I’m sorry I couldn’t get you back to your crew in time. ~starts walking to the door to walk out into the lobby, giving Kevin a grim look~

ALIA:

~follows closely beside the Doctor, never letting go of his arm though she does loosen her grip~

KEVIN:

~looks back at the Doctor and his company in genuine empathy~

JACK:

~weakly steps out behind the Master~

MASTER:

~underneath his worry and fear for his family, feels a certain thrill at being in Aperture~

ALIA:

~opens one eye, seeing Kevin and smiling brightly~ hello there!

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly, looking down at Alia~ Alia, this is Kevin; he’s a nice guy, really. ~looks to Kevin~ and Kevin, this is the family I was talking to you about. That’s the Master, this is Alia, and that’s Jack; he’s a family friend. ~glances back at Jack and the Master~ guys, this is Kevin.

KEVIN:

It’s… nice to meet all of you. ~responds a little awkwardly as the Master and Alia wave to him, though he seems glad the Doctor considers him a nice person~ I’m really sorry all of this had to happen. If I could… I would have done something to stop it…. ~trails off, looking over at his computer halfheartedly~

DOCTOR:

I wouldn’t have blamed you either way; She’s a threat to all of us. Anyway, I assume She’s splitting us up? ~looks at Kevin inquiringly~

KEVIN:

~glances at the Doctor briefly~ not… right away. Looks like she wants you all to change first.

MAN:

~a tall man arrives in the elevator a few moments later, waving to the group~ right over here.

MASTER:

~starts walking towards the elevator before the man even speaks~

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~starts to trudge towards the hallway, wondering how Aperture will change Jack and Alia as he knows it changed the Master and himself, muttering to the Master once he stands next to him in the elevator~ it doesn’t take a genius to see you’re already enjoying yourself.

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor, then at the floor, his shoulders slumping forward slightly in shame~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator doors close once everyone’s inside, heading upward~

ALIA:

~wails in distress once it starts moving and clings to the Doctor’s waist instead of his arm~

DOCTOR:

It’s okay Alia, it’s—just an elevator. ~gets made uneasy by his own reassurance, looking at the floor distrustingly~

ALIA:

~she whimpers, sniffling as the elevator comes to a stop and the doors open~

MAN:

~their guide steps out into a room with office cubicles, more than half of them occupied~ follow me, please. ~walks out into the room~

MASTER:

~follows the man at a distance~

DOCTOR:

~follows the man out as well, staying with the Master for the small amount of comfort he provides, wanting to say something but not finding anything he really wants to say, leaving him silent~

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor, smiling after a moment and reaching over to take his hand~

JACK:

~follows last behind Alia, his hand subtly venturing to the weapon at his hip~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they’re lead to a door at the end of the room, which is opened to reveal another room filled with boxes labeled by clothes size, storing hundreds of bright orange jumpsuits~

MAN:

Please return your original clothes to me once you’re finished.

DOCTOR:

Of course. ~walks towards the boxes thoughtfully, holding the Master’s hand and finding it surprisingly reassuring, looking over the boxes to see at least what general direction they need to go in~

ALIA:

~follows them inside~

JACK:

~pauses by the door, drawing his stun gun in a rage and shooting the man square in the face~

ENVIRONMENT:

~people in the cubicles stand up to look at Jack in shock~

JACK:

~grits his teeth angrily~ I’m _not_ going quietly into this! I _won’t!_ ~doesn’t even give the Doctor a backwards glance before running off and out of sight, gun in hand~

DOCTOR:

~just sighs, shaking his head~ he’ll learn… he’ll figure out what we have soon enough. There’s no escaping Aperture, not without allies. ~goes to grab a jumpsuit of his size~

MASTER:

~sighs as well, letting go of the Doctor’s hand and going off to do the same~

ALIA:

~sinks to her knees and looks out the doorway where Jack used to be, starting to cry~

DOCTOR:

~looks to Alia, walking over to her with his jumpsuit over his shoulder~ Alia… ~tears up himself, finding no way to be truthful and reassuring~ I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry…

ALIA:

~she sniffles, looking up at the Doctor but he’s blurred by her tears~ I don’t like it here, Daddy…. ~sniffs again, wiping her nose~ I wanna go home…

MASTER:

~peeks out at them from behind a grouping of boxes, having been in the process of removing his shirt to get changed~

DOCTOR:

I know, Alia… I do too. Listen… ~kneels in front of Alia to get at eye-level with her~ this… this is the place I was gone to… and this is the danger I tried to keep you from, but I—I couldn’t-… ~falters, having to pause to recollect himself~ and now we all have to be brave, alright? Because we’re all scared, even your Father.

ALIA:

~looks up at the Master~

MASTER:

~nods back at her~

ALIA:

~looks at the Doctor again, not bothering to wipe away her tears~ okay… Daddy, what’s being brave?

DOCTOR:

It’s when you keep going no matter how afraid you are and try to be okay no matter what. ~wipes the tears away from Alia’s face~ okay?

ALIA:

~she nods in understanding, even smiles a little~ yes, Daddy. I’ll be brave.

MASTER:

~walks over to them in his jumpsuit, his other clothes slung over his arm~

DOCTOR:

Alright, now let’s get you changed. ~hugs Alia, standing and spinning around once with her in his arms like he normally would, carrying her to where he thinks he sees smaller jumpsuits~

ALIA:

~wraps her arms around the Doctor’s neck with a cheerful smile, though she looks down at the boxes of children’s clothes and frowns~ so I can’t wear my new clothes anymore? Why not?

DOCTOR:

Testing protocol; none of us can. All I get to keep is my collar and that’s solely because GLaDOS finds humor in it. ~takes a jumpsuit of Alia’s size out and sets Alia down~

ALIA:

~pouts at the orange jumpsuit in distaste~

MASTER:

~ventures outside, helping their escort to sit up and recollect himself once he regains consciousness~

DOCTOR:

I know; it may be one of the most obnoxious articles of clothing I’ve ever seen, but it could be worse. Do you need help changing? ~honestly doesn’t know the answer as he doesn’t know how long he was gone~

ALIA:

~she nods~ m-hm. ~looks at the jumpsuit as if it’s intimidatingly complicated alien technology~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles, smiling at her reaction to the jumpsuit as he helps Alia undress, unzipping the jumpsuit~ it’s not as complicated as it looks, I promise.

ALIA:

~looks at the discarded articles of clothing sadly, cooperating with the Doctor to let him assist in getting her into the jumpsuit. Looks down at it, then glances at the sleeves in turn~ it’s okay… I guess. ~tilts her head inquisitively~ what’s testing protocol?

DOCTOR:

Basically the laws of Aperture. Even GLaDOS abides by it… Though I’m not sure if She made them or not. Collect your clothes and carry them out to our escort and your Father; I’ll be changed and out in a moment.

ALIA:

~nods, scooping up the clothes and hurriedly tiptoeing out to the door, peering at the escort who still seems a little dazed, exchanging a few words with the Master~

DOCTOR:

~gets changed into the jumpsuit, walking out to Alia, the Master and their escort~ hello! And sorry about our friend’s hostility, sir.

MAN:

~comes to his feet, a hand cradling one side of his face~ …acknowledged. Your clothes, please? ~holds out his free hand~

ALIA:

~hands over her clothes along with the Master~

DOCTOR:

~gives the man his clothes as well, speaking a little awkwardly~ I’m the Doctor, if you didn’t already know…

MAN:

~struggles a bit with holding the clothes in just one hand, but manages it, speaking coldly~ yes. And I prefer not to be on a first-name basis with test subjects, sorry. ~takes his hand away from his face briefly to gesture to the elevator, his one eye remaining closed~ head to the elevator, please. It should take you back up to the lobby.

DOCTOR:

That’s more than understandable… ~starts toward the elevator a little uneasily, talking to the Master and Alia as he goes~ so; the facility’s only surgeon’s name is Dr. Holloway. He seems irritable and a bit self-centered at first, but he’s a good man. He risked his life just to treat me properly once.

ALIA:

~reluctantly follows after her parents~

MASTER:

~responds, trying not to sound as overly interested as he is~ hm; I’ll keep an eye out for him. Do you know how many people are actually here? Approximately?

DOCTOR:

I could guess, but I have no way of knowing how much I’ve seen of this Aperture. ~gets into the elevator, almost instantly becoming less comfortable~ some of them like the changes, some of them tolerate it, and some just want to go home; but that’s to be expected.

ALIA:

~stops outside the elevator, looking at it like it’s going to attack her~

MASTER:

~looks between her and the Doctor with an exasperated sigh~ what, are you _both_ scared of elevators now?

DOCTOR:

Hey; I have my reasons. I’m not afraid of elevators, but I surely am afraid of _Her._ ~looks to Alia with an empathetic smile~ come on into the elevator… we’ll be fine.

ALIA:

~hesitates, but walks into the elevator and stands close by the Doctor~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the doors slide closed, and the elevator moves downward until it reaches the lobby again, the doors opening~

KEVIN:

~looks over at them, confused~ um… where’s your friend?

DOCTOR:

Jack’s trying a one-man revolt. He’s not taking all of this well, and I don’t blame him. ~steps out of the elevator towards Kevin~ though I do hope he hasn’t hurt anyone too badly, given he has a gun.

MASTER:

A stun gun; mind you. ~adds as he strides out after Alia and the Doctor~

KEVIN:

~nervously responds~ ah, I see… we should be able to sort it out; probably. ~clears his throat~ anyway. Here are your next tests. ~brings up three keycards onto the desk, each with a test subject number and a testing room number~ you and Alia are to the right hallway, while the Master is to the left. ~gestures to his own right and left in turn~

DOCTOR:

Got it; thank you. ~looks at the cards, taking his and the one that he knows isn’t the Master’s, looking at them both to see where they’re going as well as Alia’s test subject number~

MASTER:

~picks up his, looking at the card in fascination before heading off to the hallway he was directed to~

CARDS:

~Alia’s card says subject 518 and room 232, while the Doctor’s says room 215~

DOCTOR:

Whelp, come on, Alia. ~gestures for Alia to follow him as he goes to walk down the right hallway~ we have to go to our separate tests now.

ALIA:

~she hurriedly follows after the Doctor, looking distressed~ what? Tests?

DOCTOR:

Remember… I thought I told you… GLaDOS runs experiments on people. I really can’t tell you what to expect, it varies wildly.

ALIA:

~begins to look anxious~ are experiments… ~trails off, looking over at the doors they pass and her expression brightens up~ Daddy! Look! It’s a two, a three, and an eight!

ENVIRONMENT:

~this earns her a few surprised glances from passing scientists—as if the Doctor wasn’t getting them in the first place~

DOCTOR:

Wait—have we gone too far or are these going down? Very good, though, Alia. ~smiles at her before looking around to find 232~

ALIA:

~points up at the next door they pass~ two three seven! That’s going down, right? ~looks over at the Doctor, smiling back at him~

DOCTOR:

That it is! ~looks at Alia in fond pride~ at least that means you don’t have to walk part of the way to your test alone…

ALIA:

~grins proudly, taking the Doctor’s hand and spending the rest of the walk reading out the numbers on the doors. Looks up at a door on the right~ two-three-two! ~and continues walking along, smiling cheerfully~

DOCTOR:

Uh, Alia… ~keeps a hold on Alia’s hand, stopping in front of chamber 232 and looking at Alia’s card~ this is your testing chamber.

ALIA:

~is stopped from walking any further, turning around and coming back to stand close beside the Doctor, looking up at the door anxiously~

DOCTOR:

~walks up to the door, turning to speak to Alia~ I might not see you for a little while. I love you, Alia… ~unlocks the door and opens it for Alia, taking the chance to look at her test~

ALIA:

~looks up at the Doctor, her eyes wide~ what’s that mean? ~she doesn’t head into the room just yet~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room is small, and looks like a medical examination room; a middle-aged woman stands in the corner with a clipboard and gives Alia a friendly smile~

DOCTOR:

~is slightly reassured by the fact that it doesn’t look like much of a test, sadly smiling at Alia~ it means I care about you an awful lot. Go ahead in… You’ll be alright. ~glances at the woman briefly but threateningly~

ALIA:

Okay. ~smiles slightly, walking in as she responds~ I love you too, Daddy.

WOMAN:

~doesn’t seem to notice the Doctor’s glare, or at least pretends not to~

DOCTOR:

~closes the door behind him, a tear falling from his cheek as he walks down the hall alone and knowing only that the Master doesn’t seem horribly panicked—though that’s to be expected, isn’t it?~

MASTER:

~apologizes for his behavior, knowing he’s being inconsiderate by acting like he’s borderline having fun while this whole ordeal is no laughing matter~

DOCTOR:

~accepts the apology, stating that if the Master can find positivity in the situation, he should hold on to it; it’s all the same to him as long as the Master doesn’t leave him again~

MASTER:

~sincerely responds that he wouldn’t dream of it, though he isn’t able to continue the mental conversation, his focus being needed somewhere else~

DOCTOR:

~continues walking, focusing on the numbers on the doors as he passes them until he gets to his, walking up to the door, unlocking it with his card, and opening it~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the door opens toward the Doctor, swinging closed again once he’s approached the room to force him to enter; he’s pushed onto what looks like a conveyor belt, about five yards in length and not currently mobile. There are no platforms except for a small space at the end of the conveyor belt behind the Doctor, where a thin red beam from an unseen turret focuses on the wall across from it~

DOCTOR:

~looks around himself to see what the test is, understanding in a manner of seconds~ crap. ~walks towards the edge furthest form the turret to start with the best advantage possible~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the conveyor belt starts moving, in the direction of the turret, starting slow at first but quickly accelerating to a speed that required something near a sprint in order to keep up with it~

DOCTOR:

~keeps up with the conveyor belt, getting moved a few inches back by the change in speed, trying to run while conserving as much energy as possible~

ENVIRONMENT:

~after the initial change in speed the conveyor belt remains steady at its fast pace, not slowing or stopping for anyone or anything~

DOCTOR:

~manages to keep up well for a little while, thankful for once that he’s had to run for his life several times before. Soon enough, however, he starts to grow tired, forcing himself to keep going as he reasons that this can’t be a go-until-you-pass-out test due to the turret~

~•~

DOCTOR:

~keeps running for he-can’t-tell-how-long, his vision blurry as he realizes he’s moving backwards and trying to move faster, finding himself physically incapable and soon enough his legs give out from under him entirely, scrambling to stop himself from being moved in front of the turret in vain~

TURRET:

*Target Acquired!* ~the turret opens fire on the Doctor and bullets riddle his body—fake, foam bullets, which still hurt when they hit him and show no sign of stopping, but at least they don’t puncture his skin~

DOCTOR:

~just lays there panting for a moment, taking that long to even realize he’s not dying—though he’s probably badly bruised. Lifts his head to look for some sign that the test is over, even that taking effort by now, speaking in a dry, raspy voice~ you… little…

ENVIRONMENT:

~the conveyor belt slows to a stop, but the turret keeps firing~

GLaDOS:

*43 minutes and 19 seconds. Not bad. Though, I’m honestly a little disappointed; I thought you’d have figured out that this test was a bluff sooner.*

DOCTOR:

Hard… to think… when you’re bloody exhausted! ~drags himself to his feet, making himself stumble back onto the treadmill to stop being barraged by foam bullets~

TURRET:

~stops shooting, looking around and saying~ *Are you still there?*

GLaDOS:

*Good; that was part of my goal. See: ­ _I_ actually think things through when putting people in danger. ~pauses as if in thought~ Specifically, though, when deciding _how_ to put them in danger. So I suppose comparing that to you would be unfair. Then again, when has being fair ever mattered to me?*

DOCTOR:

You can shut up now, thanks… I _was_ actually sorry for killing you, I was convinced you had broken our deal. ~just lays on his back on the conveyor belt now, talking to GLaDOS~ though I suppose that in the end, it doesn’t matter whether or not I’m like you or you’re human or any of that… history takes its own side; whoever lives longer can paint events however they want.

GLaDOS:

*You’re talking an awful lot for someone who just ran approximately seven miles.* ~sounds minorly annoyed by the Doctor’s whimsical carrying on~

MAN:

~someone opens the door, a man similar to Claire’s age and height, who looks down at the Doctor through thick-rimmed glasses~ sir? I’m to be your new personal escort; please come with me… ~reconsiders the Doctor’s physical state~ if you can.

DOCTOR:

~makes himself get up, aching horribly and almost falling back down at first, managing to stand and walk unsteadily to the man~ I’ll be fine…

MAN:

A-are you sure? ~he looks worried, holding out his arms slightly as an offer~ I’ll help you to walk…

DOCTOR:

~smiles weakly at the offer as he accepts it, it reminding him of Claire~ thanks… I’m the Doctor, if you weren’t informed…

MAN:

It’s okay, you r-really don’t need to introduce yourself to everyone h-

ENVIRONMENT:

~someone whistles as a brief, escalating call to draw attention to himself~

MASTER:

~slowly limps past with the help of another female escort~ hey Doctor! S’at you? ~the Master, with a blindfold on, hands tied behind him and covered in orange goo, looks at the Doctor’s general direction, grinning himself silly~

DOCTOR:

Sorry, habit. ~responds to his escort before looking over at the Master~ yup! Guess you know what I meant before when I told you about that test.

MASTER:

~he giggles drunkenly, trailing off to spit out some propulsion gel~ the turret was a little unexpected, tho-ough, ~hiccups between his words, rolling his shoulder and sticking out his leg slightly to show his bullet wounds~

WOMAN:

~his escort seems a little overwhelmed by the Master’s behavior, looking like she just wants to get him to where he needs to go so she can do something else~

DOCTOR:

Yeah. ~shakes his head, speaking to his escort~ sorry about that… I’m already worried about drunkenly ecstatic bastard, though I just hope he’s not doing my exact tests…

MASTER:

~looks over his shoulder, calling~ I heard that!

MAN:

~the Doctor’s escort winces slightly~ I-I wouldn’t know, I’m sorry. Though Kevin probably… ~gives a brief shake of his head~ I’m Thomas, by the way. ~starts walking down the hallway in the opposite direction that the Master was going, slow enough to be absolutely sure the Doctor can handle the pace~

DOCTOR:

Yeah; I’m worrying about you. What else is new? ~walks along with Thomas~ and I know… I mean, I know you wouldn’t know… nice to meet you, Thomas…

THOMAS:

Pleasure meeting you t-too, Doctor. ~glances back at the Master as they head away from each other~ was that the Master, back there? ~looking ahead again, double checks the door numbers~ I heard your daughter was here too… dreadful.

DOCTOR:

Yeah… got my closest friend stuck in all of this too… I’m such an idiot…. ~looks at the floor, unable to stop himself from thinking about what She said~

THOMAS:

Hey, d-don’t say that. It was Her fault for cheating your bargain, anyway. ~crosses to the opposite side of the hallway and stops in front of door 236~

DOCTOR:

Yeah, well it was downright stupid of me to trust Her word… Too damn desperate to think, that’s what I was. ~looks at the door, expecting for what he has to do to be clear once he has to do it~

ENVIRONMENT:

~Thomas opens the door to an office room that’s had most of the items either removed or pushed aside, leaving an open space in the center of the room~

ALIA:

~crouches on the floor there and fiddles with a pen and some paper~

JACK:

~is sitting in a chair by the far right corner, staring at the wall blankly like it’s actually a window, seeming to have been made to change into an orange jumpsuit like the rest of them~

ALIA:

Daddy?! ~looks up in disbelief~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at them~ Alia! Jack! Glad you’re both alright. ~half-stumbles away from Thomas, waving to him in farewell and thanks before turning back to Alia, getting his balance~

ALIA:

~jumps up and runs to the Doctor, hugging him tightly~

THOMAS:

~waves back with a smile~ see you soon, then. ~closes the door behind the Doctor~

JACK:

~doesn’t respond apart from letting his eyes wander towards the Doctor for a brief moment, then staring back at the wall~

DOCTOR:

~smiles and hugs Alia back for a second before looking over at Jack with a more serious expression~ I’d say now’s a good time to sit down and plan an escape…

GLaDOS:

*And I’d say your efforts are pointless because I can hear every word you say, but if you want to feel clever, by all means, knock yourself out.*

JACK:

~having been about to willingly cooperate with the Doctor now turns his head and scoffs, looking back out his imaginary window~

ALIA:

~looks up at the Doctor, speaking into his stomach~ he’s not very happy, is he?

DOCTOR:

He hasn’t much reason to be happy… ~looks up from Alia at Jack~ and I’m sorry, I screwed it up for everyone, especially you, Jack… what do you want me to say? I’m a bloody selfish moron who doesn’t deserve what he has.

JACK:

No. You don’t need to say anything. ~uses the desk in front of him to rest his chin in his hand and stare off thoughtfully~ talk is cheap, Doctor.

MAN:

~the door opens again, and an irritable male scientist walks into the room, looking at the Doctor as he checks his clipboard~ four hundred fifty-three.

DOCTOR:

~turns and looks at the man, taking a second to realize the number’s his subject number and wishing it hadn’t been used like a name~ yes? That’s me.

MAN:

~holds the clipboard under his arm, taking something out of the pocket of his lab coat and approaching the Doctor~ your wrist, please. ~barely waits for a response, taking the Doctor’s right arm and securing a sort of uncomfortable metal bracelet around his wrist~

DOCTOR:

Uh, sure? ~speaks after the man has already secured the ‘bracelet’ on his wrist, looking at it curiously though he knows for a fact it can’t be good~

MAN:

~he looks up at the camera in the room~ testing, 1-2-3.

ENVIRONMENT:

~when he finishes speaking, the bracelet delivers an electric shock to the Doctor’s wrist~

DOCTOR:

Ow. ~looks startled when it shocks him, scowling at the bracelet briefly though he knows She’s to blame, trying to think of why he has the bracelet as it has to be a test for it to be subject-specific~

MAN:

~takes out his clipboard and writes something down~

JACK:

~looks over at the Doctor in concern~

MAN:

Functional. ~nods curtly to the Doctor, turning and heading out of the room again as he locks the door behind him~

ALIA:

~looks at the bracelet thoughtfully~ what’s that?

DOCTOR:

A shock-bracelet of sorts… clearly designed to give off non-fatal discharges of electricity. ~shrugs, looking over the piece of Aperture tech briefly before looking at Alia and Jack~ I suppose I’ll find out why soon enough. ~sits down on the floor, still aching from running several miles~

ALIA:

~gets down on the floor beside the Doctor, reaching over to the piece of paper she was writing on~ so, what did you do? Me n’ Jack have been here a while… that lady stuck something in me right here- ~gently gestures to her right shoulder~ an’ it feels all funny now.

DOCTOR:

I ran a couple of miles. I also saw the Master on his way to the medical room—or I assume that’s where he was going—I’ve never been able to see exactly where it is. He was acting giddy as anything. ~thinks for a moment about what Alia says the woman did~ you probably just got some sort of vaccination, I wouldn’t be too worried.

ALIA:

D’you think Father’s coming here too? ~leans over the paper, pen in hand as she continues working on what looks like the ‘to let’ sign that was in front of their house before it was purchased, a few letters misspelled or wrong entirely~

DOCTOR:

I don’t know, considering how GLaDOS is a bi—bad person. ~shakes his head, smiling as he understands what Alia’s drawing, laying back on the ground~

ALIA:

~sits up and looks back at the Doctor when he lays down~ Daddy? ~crawls over to him with her paper, pointing to her attempt at letters~ what are these? They don’t look like numbers…

DOCTOR:

~smiles up at Alia~ they’re letters, meant to imply words so people can write what they want to say. The sign you’re trying to draw said “to let”, and you haven’t done too bad for someone who doesn’t even know what letters are.

ALIA:

~looks proud~ I remembered what they looked like. ~glances back at the page~ most of them. ~lies down on her stomach beside the Doctor, and turns the paper over to start drawing something else~

DOCTOR:

~nods in acknowledgement, letting himself close his eyes and relax, realizing he hasn’t slept since their last night home and considering the situation safe enough to let himself drift off a bit~

ENVIRONMENT:

~as soon as the Doctor gets comfortable enough to even attempt to sleep, the band around his wrist shocks him again, seeming stronger and for a longer duration than last time~

DOCTOR:

~abruptly sits up, only surprised for a moment though he grimaces slightly at the lingering electricity in his wrist~ so that’s what it’s for… ~looks at the ceiling~ well sorry to disappoint you, but this is another thing that works quite similarly to how it does in humans.

ALIA:

~looks up at the Doctor in surprise~ huh? What’s what for?

JACK:

~seems to be drifting off himself, as a loud buzzer sound comes from the speakers in the room and he’s jolted to attention~

ENVIRONMENT:

~soon enough it sounds like more people than usual are walking past in the hallway~

DOCTOR:

Sleep deprivation. I’m not allowed to sleep… ~lays back down, resting his hands on his stomach and staring at the ceiling~ for how long, I wouldn’t know.

ALIA:

But don’t you need to sleep- ~stops, coming to her feet as the door is opened~

MASTER:

~is shoved roughly inside, his hands still tied behind him, still wearing the blindfold and looking like he was barely treated or cleaned at all. The door closes behind him and he falls to his knees weakly, his breathing heavy~

DOCTOR:

Master!? What happened? ~gets up, looking at the items that had been pushed aside for anything he can scavenge to help out the Master~ the running test…?

MASTER:

~shakes his head~ no. ~looks around himself, though it doesn’t help since he can’t see~ They sort of… just left. Didn’t even get around to… untying me. ~swallows, gradually getting his breathing under control~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the only items in the room are those normally found in an office, like paper, pens, and a few coffee mugs~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen slightly~ the buzzer… an evacuation? ~goes to untie the Master, figuring the other Timelord has sense enough to take his own blindfold off without getting anything in his eyes~

MASTER:

~smirks, speaking sarcastically~ what, untying me already? ~brings his arms back around when he’s untied, grimacing at the pain in his shoulder as he carefully removes his blindfold and blinks at the light in disorientation~ oh, hello Alia… and Jack.

DOCTOR:

~chuckles slightly at the Master’s sarcasm, speaking once he can see~ but if it’s an evacuation, we’re clearly not meant to evacuate… but your bullet wounds do have to be treated… ~checks the door to see if it’s locked~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the door is locked securely, and doesn’t have a keyhole on the inside so lock picking wouldn’t be an option~

ALIA:

What’s an evocution? ~looks up at the Doctor in worry, getting the feeling that it’s a bad thing~

MASTER:

~nods in affirmation to the Doctor’s statement, mentally adding that the actual bullets _were_ removed before he was rushed back here~

DOCTOR:

I think I can treat your bullet wounds at least to an extent… an evacuation is where everyone leaves an area, usually for safety reasons.

ALIA:

So… if there’s an evocution why aren’t we going too? ~looks at the floor thoughtfully, pacing a slow circle around her paper~

DOCTR:

Well, GLaDOS controls everything here so we’re clearly supposed to be in this room, and She wouldn’t kill us. For now… ~picks up an “I hate Mondays” mug, pegging it at the wall away from anyone else with the purpose of breaking it~

ALIA:

~the mug shatters and she squeaks in fearful surprise, jumping back~

MASTER:

~looks up at the Doctor, sounding almost offended~ what was that for?

DOCTOR:

Sorry, but where in an office am I supposed to find anything to treat you with? ~picks up a sharp piece of the mug, cutting off the top layer of his sleeves’ cuffs~ in short, it was for you.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the door unlocks, and the handle turns~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~opens it and steps inside~ that won’t be necessary. ~the hallway behind him seems completely empty; closes the door, setting down the medical bad he was carrying as he adjusts his glasses and glances behind him irritably~ bastards… leaving a patient unattended.

DOCTOR:

~stops and looks up from what he was about to do at Dr. Holloway, relaxing with a relieved sigh~ thank you, Dr. Holloway. ~gets down and brings all of the mug shards into a pile~

DR HOLLOWAY:

There’s no need. ~shakes his head~

MASTER & ALIA:

~look up at Dr. Holloway curiously~

JACK:

~even Jack lifts his head to size him up~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~ignores their stares and crouches down beside the Master, rifling through his bag for a cloth~

DOCTOR:

I know, it’s your job. That doesn’t mean I appreciate it any less, though… you didn’t have to do what you did for me. ~leans on an office desk casually as he speaks~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~uses the cloth to clean the propulsion gel off of the Master, much to the Timelord’s annoyance~

ALIA:

~crawls back to her paper~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~cleans the Master’s wounds and starts to sew them up~ No, I didn’t have to do what I did. But GLaDOS didn’t have to do that to you in the first place, either.

DOCTOR:

~stops himself from arguing, figuring it’s best to just let Dr. Holloway go about his job. Continues to stare at the ground, preventing himself from mentally reliving the “test”~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~finishes with the Master’s bullet wounds, speaking to him~ I can get another jumpsuit to you in an hour or so.

MASTER:

~nods in acknowledgement~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~picks up his bag and goes to leave the room again~

DOCTOR:

~waves to Dr. Holloway, deciding not to ask about the alarm for fear of getting the man into more trouble, speaking when he leaves~ well, that was rather convenient.

MASTER:

Yeah… ~lays back, with his hands resting behind his head~ I had forgotten how tiring testing is. ~closes his eyes, opening them again when Alia nudges him~

ALIA:

~shows him her paper, on which she’s drawn something that looks like an angry, distorted… something~

DOCTOR:

I had as well, before I got back. ~sits down on the floor, leaning back on the desk and looking at his shock bracelet grimly~

MASTER:

~sits up to look at the picture thoughtfully~ what’s this, Alia?

ALIA:

~she points to certain aspects of the picture as if it makes the drawing any more recognizable, responding~ it’s that meanie GLaDOS.

DOCTOR:

~looks at Alia and the Master in understanding as he knows Alia’s not seen GLaDOS before, taking a pen and a paper he finds laying about to sketch something~

MASTER:

~hands the paper back to Alia, laying down again and turning onto his side~

ALIA:

~gets up and toddles to the Doctor, leaning over to look at his paper curiously~ what’s that?

DOCTOR:

Give me a minute… ~after a few moments, he sets the pen down, showing Alia a rough sketch of an old barn in front of mountains that surround but don’t obstruct the view of the Timelord Capital in its glass bubble~

ALIA:

~sits down next to the Doctor, looking at the picture intently, her eyes wide~ oh… what is it, Daddy?

DOCTOR:

~mumbles a little bitterly~ it’s what we _should_ be calling “home”. ~pausing before speaking more clearly in his explanation, gesturing to things as he talks about them~ it’s Gallifrey. That’s the old barn I used to stay in when I was little—it wasn’t much, but it was home—and that’s the Timelord Capital City.

ALIA:

~listens with interest~ Gallifrey? The capital city… ~trails off thoughtfully, looking concerned when she glances up at the Doctor again~ what happened to it, Daddy? Why _can’t_ we have home there?

DOCTOR:

~sits back again, still looking at the paper~ it’s gone; it burnt. There’s a Time Lock on it that stops us from going back to it through time travel.

JACK:

~sighs~

ALIA:

~glances back at him briefly before looking at the Doctor’s picture again~ what’s a Time Lock?

MASTER:

~seems to have drifted off to sleep, lying on the floor~

DOCTOR:

~meets Alia’s gaze now~ it’s something that stops anyone from ever going back to something, even with a TARDIS.

ALIA:

So… we can’t ever go back to Gallifrey? ~looks at the Doctor sadly, glancing at the picture~

DOCTOR:

No, we can’t. ~answers a little irritably, wishing his daughter could be raised like a Timelord should—granted, his childhood wasn’t the best, but it was better than this~

ALIA:

~leans over and wraps her arms around the Doctor’s neck in a sideways hug~ it’s okay, Daddy.

DOCTOR:

~smiles, looking over at Alia~ do you want to see it? I can show you Gallifrey from my memory telepathically.

ALIA:

~looks delighted at the idea, nodding~ okay! ~smiles cheerfully at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~gently brings his forehead to touch Alia’s, displaying memories of Gallifrey, careful not to let anything negative slip even when he shows people~

ALIA:

~is entranced by the memories, commenting on how beautiful Gallifrey is without really directing the thought towards the Doctor. Her mind is completely unguarded, something the Doctor isn’t used to, and her thoughts are left open to him without a filter~

DOCTOR:

~is reminded of how young Alia really is when he’s in her mind, showing her his family and the High Council and little Koschei—careful not to let the name go with the memory~

ALIA:

~curiously asks who the little boy is, the inquiry having more direction towards the Doctor this time. Seems to be enjoying the memories~

DOCTOR:

~answers with the fact that it’s her Father, adding an image of what he looked like and stating that it’s him~

ALIA:

~giggles aloud, amused by this for some reason as her thought processes go through the fact that this Master doesn’t resemble what he looks like now, then applying the Doctor’s explanation of regenerations and putting two and two together~

DOCTOR:

~smiles sadly as he backs off and sits up, having teared up without realizing it~ so that was what I grew up with… all of the good parts, anyway.

ALIA:

~lets go of the Doctor and loses her smile after a moment as she notices his expression~ what’s wrong?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head dismissively, blinking back his tears~ I’ll be fine, don’t worry.

ALIA:

~smiles again~ okay. ~comes to her feet and glances around the room at the Master and Jack as she nibbles on the end of her pen, who both look sound asleep~

DOCTOR:

~looks from the Master to Jack to Alia~ you might want to sleep too, Alia, Jack woke you up so you could see me and opportunities like this don’t come around often in Aperture.

ALIA:

~turns back to look at the Doctor with a concerned pout~ but, Daddy… what about you?

DOCTOR:

Just because I can’t sleep doesn’t mean you should have to stay up too. You’ll need to be well-resting for whatever tests you go through. I can keep watch for you all, I’m more happy if I know everyone’s safe anyway.

ALIA:

~hangs her head, giving Jack and the Master one last glance before getting back down onto the floor, curling up beside the Doctor though she looks as if getting to sleep is going to be a difficult task for her~

DOCTOR:

~softly hums a Gallifreyan tune he has trouble remembering, hoping it works as a lullaby for Alia~

ALIA;

~seems too uncomfortable with lying on the floor at first, but she closes her eyes and listens to the Doctor’s tune, eventually drifting off to sleep like the rest of them~

DOCTOR:

~stops humming once he knows everyone’s asleep, just relaxing and looking around himself in silence~


	8. Escape; Take 2

MASTER:

~the first to wake is the Master, after what must be less than half an hour since Dr. Holloway hasn’t returned, opening his eyes drowsily and grimacing at pain from his wounds as he pushes himself up into a sitting position, coming to terms with the waking world~

DOCTOR:

~speaks softly as to not wake anyone else up~ have a nice nap? ~just glad he has someone he can talk to now~

MASTER:

~takes a moment to realize the Doctor spoke, responding at a similar volume~ decent… ~looks around at the others~ were you not sleeping?

DOCTOR:

No… I can’t. ~knows the Master can probably tell that he’s tired, through the mental link or otherwise~

MASTER:

~looks at the Doctor in concern~ why not? ~crawls over to him, careful not to disturb Alia as he sits on the other side of the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~lifts his right hand so the Master can see the bracelet~ because if I try to sleep, this shocks me. I got it—more like it was forced on me—not long before you came in.

MASTER:

~looks at the bracelet thoughtfully~ you can manage on no sleep for a good while, though; right?

DOCTOR:

Yeah, I’ve gone months without it before… most of my companions came to the conclusion that I don’t sleep at all.

MASTER:

~brings an arm across the Doctor’s shoulders, looking at him slyly~ besides, I’m sure not _every_ type of ‘sleeping’ will trigger it. ~lets his other hand rest on the Doctor’s thigh~

DOCTOR:

~swallows in an effort to steady his voice before he responds, smiling~ I’m sure it won’t. ~leans into the Master a bit, glad he’s with him despite it all~

MASTER:

~smiles thoughtfully, glancing downward as he gently brushes his hand back and forth across the Doctor’s leg. Notices the sketch of the Doctor’s old home and the Citadel, his smile turning to a smirk~ reminiscing?

DOCTOR:

~answers easily~ I figured Alia should know what it was like at its best… so I showed her telepathically. I drew the picture first, though.

MASTER:

~nods in understanding, closing his eyes after a moment~ anything else happen while I wasn’t consciously present?

DOCTOR:

Not really… ~thinks for a moment before answering~ after showing Alia Gallifrey, I told her she should get her rest and I’ve just been sitting here since then.

MASTER:

~looks thoughtful, crawling away from the Doctor just far enough that he’s able to reach where the rope and blindfold were left, retrieving them and sitting back where he was. Fondles the rope and glances over at the Doctor briefly, before being startled by another abrupt buzzer~

DOCTOR:

~flinches at the sudden noise out of surprise, looking out of the window on the door from where he is for any clue as to what’s going on~

JACK:

~abruptly stands up at the buzzer, looking dazed but agitated as his hand instinctively moves to his hip, realizing that he doesn’t have a gun on him anymore~

ENVIRONMENT:

~after a moment, people start walking by the door again, most of them looking satisfied or cheerful when their faces are visible~

DOCTOR:

What was that, lunch break or something? ~shrugs as if to answer his own question, leaning back on the desk again~

JACK:

~stays standing at attention, his eyes on the door as it opens~

MS DAVIS:

~peers inside with a smile~ hello there, I’ve brought a jumpsuit someone needed? ~holds out the folded material without stepping inside~

MASTER:

~dumps the items he was holding into the Doctor’s lap before standing up and going over to take the jumpsuit~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles at the Master’s actions, just looking at the rope and blindfold for a second before turning his attention to the door~ hello, Ms. Davis! Nice to see you again.

MASTER:

~accepts the new set of clothes~

MS DAVIS:

~smiles and waves at the Doctor~ hello. I’m filling in for Dr. Holloway, so don’t be expecting any serious injuries. Or, at least for any of them to be treated.

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen at the news. Drops the items the Master had dumped into his lap as he stands~ what happened? Is he coming back?

ALIA:

~mumbles and sleepily sits up, rubbing her eyes~

MS DAVIS:

~looks surprised at the Doctor’s reaction~ well, um, he _should_ be; I mean, I wouldn’t know. For certain.

DOCTOR:

~relaxes a little~ okay… He just doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d leave his job even temporarily unless it was his family or wasn’t his choice…

MS DAVIS:

We all do have shifts, so don’t expect all the same people every time… anyway, I need to get going. ~closes the door in somewhat of a hurry, the turn of a lock not being heard~

ALIA:

Who’as she, Daddy? ~asks, her words slurred by drowsiness~

DOCTOR:

That was Ms. Davis; she helps Dr. Holloway, usually. ~leans back on the desk, not sitting down~ I can’t help but worry that I got Dr. Holloway into trouble over something stupid; even if it was entirely his decision.

MASTER:

~goes over to sit in the space behind the desk in order to have some sort of privacy from Alia as he changes into a clean jumpsuit~

JACK:

~looks around the room, locating the two cameras that occasionally follow one of their movements, then looking back at the door, a smirk playing across his face as he goes to grab one of the coffee mugs~

DOCTOR:

~understands what Jack’s doing after a second, smirking as well and trying to think of some use for his shards of mug, figuring he could get a camera down and mostly intact with one, going to pick one up~

ALIA:

~looks between Jack and the Doctor in confusion~

JACK:

~picks up one of the mugs, then pelts it at the camera closest to him, shattering its lens and the mug~

MASTER:

Hey! ~ducks as he’s hailed by shards of glass and porcelain, pulling the jumpsuit up over his shoulders afterward~

DOCTOR:

~realizes the camera is too sturdily designed to be hacked off or even unscrewed from the wall by a piece of porcelain, pegging his mug shard directly at the lens instead, his shard ending up burrowed in the camera~ I’d say this is a good time to share escape plans. It’s not going to take Her long to fix this, though.

MASTER:

~stands up, looking at Jack irritably as he brushes debris off of his shoulders and out of his hair, his hand gently coming up to the left side of his face where a piece of glass had cut into his cheek~

JACK:

~turns to face the Doctor~ well first of all, the door was left open. It wasn’t locked after the woman left, so we have an opportunity there…

DOCTOR:

We could hack the elevator and try to get to the areas outside of Her control, maybe find Rick to help us get around. ~his eyes drift to the Master then flick back to Jack, as if he doesn’t want to get caught looking~ that is if we can hack the elevator.

MASTER:

~rolls his eyes slightly, finishing with putting on his new jumpsuit and zipping it up~

ALIA:

~stands and looks between the Doctor and Jack~ are we getting out?

JACK:

~gives her a brief glance, then speaks to the Doctor~ sounds like something, at least. Have you hacked into one of these elevators before?

DOCTOR:

~momentarily turns his attention to his daughter~ we’re going to try, Alia. ~turns back to Jack~ the Master did; if they restored Her exactly, we can keep GLaDOS from being on our tail for a moment too… another difficulty might be getting let into the elevator, but that shouldn’t be too hard, we’ll think of something.

MASTER:

~picks up the last mug on the desk, shrugging~ break the glass?

JACK:

~searches around the room, retrieving a few paperweights and a broken radio~ we can find ways to get through if we’re held back. ~looks up at the Doctor, obviously wondering if the Doctor would be against them attacking the humans in the process~

DOCTOR:

~answers the unspoken question clearly by adding onto Jack’s statement~ at whatever cost. ~with the assumption that any attack would be provoked, collecting a few paper clips and also pocketing a handful of porcelain shards, glad that the jumpsuits have pockets~

JACK:

Right. Let’s get going, then. ~looks out the door to see if anyone’s coming~

MASTER:

~comes out from behind the desk and walks over to where the rope and blindfold were left, pocketing them casually~

ALIA:

~looks around in overwhelmed confusion, not sure exactly what they’re doing~

DOCTOR:

~notices Alia’s confusion, smiling down at her~ just follow us, okay? And be careful. ~walks up to the door as well after speaking to Alia, ready to go out after Jack, having noticed the Master’s actions as well but not paying them much mind~

ALIA:

~nods anxiously~

JACK:

~Looks back and forth for a moment, carefully turning the door’s handle as he stuffs everything but the radio in his pockets, walking out at a casual stride as if he’s doing nothing wrong~

ENVIRONMENT:

~no one seems to be opposed to this at the moment~

DOCTOR:

~follows Jack out as casually as possible, even smiling at people as they pass like it’s an average day in the city, glancing back to be sure Alia and the Master are following~

MASTER:

~makes sure Alia walks out before him, noticing the tactic and closing the door behind him before following the group, mug in hand~

GLaDOS:

~after a moment, Her voice comes into the hallway~ *It seems we’ve got a troupe of test subjects trying to escape; how unfortunate.*

JACK:

~at this point, he breaks into a run~

DOCTOR:

~steps back to pick Alia up before running after Jack, stumbling more than once as he ran several miles not too long ago~

PEOPLE:

~people in the hallway turn to them, some approaching and trying to stop them~

MASTER:

~catches up to the Doctor, mentally offering to take Alia since the Doctor’s obviously less capable~

JACK:

~snarls threats at those who approach, ending up throwing both paperweights before they get close to the end of the hallway~

DOCTOR:

~takes the mug and hands the Master Alia gratefully, taking one of the larger mug shards out of his pocket and offering it to Jack with the side comment~ I thought we might need some sort of weapon. At least these are sharp.

JACK:

~looks back at the Doctor briefly, looking concerned but shaking his head~ we’re close. ~runs through the door at the end of the hallway, slowing to a stop~

KEVIN:

~looks up at them in surprise, swallowing and reaching to the phone on his desk~

DOCTOR:

Kevin, you of all people know not to tick me off. ~speaks in a warning tone though the look he gives Kevin is more pleading than anything~ I don’t want to hurt you, I have nothing against you. I just want to leave with my family intact. ~starts towards the elevator~

KEVIN:

~looks a little overwhelmed, accessing a system of alarms and such on his computer, seeming strained enough that it looks like an accident when the door to the hallway they just exited closes and locks, much to the annoyance of their pursuers. Glances over at the Doctor, giving a subtle wink though he still seems scared as anything~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly and nods, going up to the elevator to get in—or break in, as the plan was, not blaming Kevin in the slightest for being scared~ this statement is false! ~the last thing he wants is probably Her in control of the elevators at the moment~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator doesn’t open when they approach, but after a brief fit of static from GLaDOS, the doors slide open as if giving in~

MASTER:

~sets Alia down~

JACK:

~steps inside, holding the door in case it decides to close as he smiles at the Doctor~ well done.

MASTER:

~coaxes Alia inside, going to kneel beside the control panel, finding actual buttons when he pries it open~ would you look at that…

DOCTOR:

~walks in as well, looking to see what the Master’s talking about, grinning once he sees it~ She’s actually made it easier for us… ~his grin fades a little, looking almost confused~

MASTER:

~has the doors close and looks up at the Doctor, noticing his confusion with concern~ could you hand me one of those shards? ~reaches out with one hand~

DOCTOR:

Sure. ~hands the Master a shard from his pocket easily, still holding a mug in his left hand~

JACK:

What is it, Doctor? ~asks in concern~

MASTER:

~takes the shard and uses it to pry open the casing with the buttons, feeling around inside and using the shard to cut a specific wire~ disconnected.

DOCTOR:

~shrugs, answering Jack~ this all just seems like it’s being too easy… nothing’s been easy for a while, and I get paranoid. ~turns his attention back to the Master~ should we just go up as far as we can? We know we’re underground.

MASTER:

Alright. ~nods, pushing the panel of buttons back into place and getting the elevator to move upward. Sits back onto his heels, staring at the floor as he seems to be remembering something; starts to chuckle after a moment~

DOCTOR:

What? ~sounds concerned almost to the point of fear, seeing if he can mentally decipher what happened, knowing what might happen if the Master becomes unable to choose between him and Aperture again~

MASTER:

~turns around so that he’s sitting adjacent to the control panel, looking almost victorious as he brushes a finger gently down the buttons~ I remember now. Doctor, I put these in—the buttons—I helped _build_ a decent chunk of this new Aperture. ~mentally, he entertains the debate over whether he should use this for the sake of them all escaping, or for his own personal gain~ I know how we can get out.

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t know how to feel about this information, especially given the Master’s tone, speaking cautiously~ well, how, then? ~able to sense the fact that the Master’s conflicted~

JACK:

~takes a wary step back at this whole exchange~

MASTER:

~looks thoughtful for a moment, then scared, as if suddenly realizing something~ Not up. Definitely, not up… not yet. ~changes the direction of the elevator, and it starts going downward~ since it’s disconnected, the lift can only run for approximately ten minutes… There are undoubtedly more people in the upper levels, and it wouldn’t end well if we were dropped from the very top of the shaft.

DOCTOR:

~relaxes a bit, nodding in understanding~ alright, then. I’ve had enough of collapsing elevator floors… ~gives a slight smile, though mentally there’s a clear, hesitant “I’m trusting you…” from him~

MASTER:

~comments aloud, leaving the others confused~ might not be the best decision on your part.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator shudders as they pass the lobby again~

MASTER:

~tries to speed up their descent~

ALIA:

~whimpers fearfully as she quickly goes to cling to the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~grimaces slightly, wrapping an arm around Alia~ I know. ~knowing he’s probably just confusing Jack and Alia more, leaning back on the elevator wall~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator whines~

MASTER:

~mutters~ we should be fine

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator sparks and the light dies out, sending the compartment plummeting down its shaft~

ALIA:

~screams and buries her face in the Doctor’s side, muffling it~

DOCTOR:

Really, Master? ~wraps both arms around Alia, picking her up to hold her and calmly hush her though inwardly he’s panicking as well~

MASTER:

Yes-! ~curls in on himself protectively~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the lift crashes to the ground, one of the glass walls cracking from the impact though the rest of the passengers seem fine. Jack’s radio, supposedly broken, has started relaying white noise~

DOCTOR:

~sets Alia down, sighing in relief and looking over at Jack questioningly in response to the radio actually producing noise~

JACK:

~recollects himself and picks up the radio he had dropped, looking it over in confusion, shrugging to show that he doesn’t know either~

ALIA:

~stays close by the Doctor, still scared~ dark… ~she whimpers~

JACK:

~untwists the radio’s antenna, and the static turns into a peppy instrumental version of “Still Alive” that’s stuck on loop~

DOCTOR:

Alright then… ~looks around himself to see where they’ve landed, gently rubbing Alia’s back to comfort her~

MASTER:

~uncurls, looking irritated by the radio’s cheerful music for a brief moment before glancing around at where they’ve landed, which is indeed quite dark~ I don’t… ~furrows his eyebrows worriedly~ I don’t recognize this place.

DOCTOR:

Well that’s just great… It’s nothing we haven’t dealt with before, we could just try to take a look around like we would when we didn’t know anything about the facility.

GLaDOS:

*Hm… I do believe you’ve been here before, Doctor.*

ALIA:

~shrinks back against the wall of the elevator~

MASTER:

~peers outside curiously~

ENVIRONMENT:

~things slither in the darkness~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen at the statement, instantly understanding where they are, his voice becoming unsteady~ Master… tell me you can get us back up…

MASTER:

~tries the panel, shrugging indifferently~ it’s dead. ~comes to his feet, grabbing the radio from Jack and throwing it into the darkness~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the music stutters and dies away after a moment~

MASTER:

Eh; looks workable. ~steps out of the elevator, striding forward casually~

DOCTOR:

Master-! ~sinks to the floor of the elevator, holding his knees to his chest as he watches the Master stride out into the area~ you idiot…

MASTER:

~pauses, turning slightly to look back at the Doctor~ ah, that’s where you’re wrong, Doctor. I’ll be fine. ~continues walking until he’s mostly engulfed in darkness, crouching down~

ENVIRONMENT:

~he’s occasionally blocked by the shadowy figures of cords~

DOCTOR:

What the hell is he doing? ~speaks in a shaky yet somewhat exasperated tone, making himself stand and start to walk cautiously towards the Master~

MASTER:

~suddenly stands up~ Stop! Stay in the lift.

CORDS:

~move away from him abruptly as if startled~

MASTER:

~takes a few steps toward the Doctor~ just because I know I’ll be fine doesn’t mean I know you will.

DOCTOR:

~practically jumps back into the lift~ you don’t have to tell me twice… ~leans back against the wall inside the lift, watching the Master in intrigued concern~

MASTER:

~hesitates, to make sure the Doctor’s back in the lift before turning around and walking to where he was before~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a dim light in the elevator flickers back on, making things a little easier to see~

MASTER:

~sits on the floor, seeming to be talking quietly to the cords~

CORD:

~one of them drifts away from the group and pushes the crushed radio back towards the elevator~

MASTER:

~seems to take this as a victory, continuing more earnestly as the cords close in on him~

DOCTOR:

How the hell he does it, I don’t even want to know. ~glances from Alia to Jack before looking back at the Master, not personally liking how the Master seems to be able to influence the cords almost as much as GLaDOS herself—it makes him look almost at home~

ALIA:

~looks considerably more relaxed when the light comes on, looking out at the Master~ what _is_ father doing? ~looks scared as the cords almost completely engulf the Master~

MASTER:

~hardly seems worried~

ALIA:

~clings to the Doctor’s arm and hides half of her face behind it~

DOCTOR:

How the hell should I know? All I know is that I want to be out of this place the second its possible and the cords seem to listen to the Master… they’re dangerous, though. If a cord ever tries to get to you here, you don’t talk to it, you get away from it or call for help, understood?

ALIA:

~nods nervously~ yes, Daddy.

MASTER:

~stops talking for a moment and giggles, playfully batting at one of the cords and seeming to have nearly forgotten what it was he came out here to do in the first place~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master, frowning and calling to him~ hey, I know I said to have a good time if you can, but this particular situation is a bit more unnerving to the rest of us… this is where I was when our mental link was forced open.

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor, standing up and looking down at the cords~ guess I’m not going to be friendly, then. ~walks further into the darkness~

CORDS:

~the cords that are visible follow him and disappear one by one~

MASTER:

~walks back towards the Doctor after a few minutes without any of the wires in sight, smirking~

DOCTOR:

~decides it better not to ask how the Master dealt with the cords~ Alright then… are we good to go? Because Her claw was here too and that’s something I don’t think even you can control, but you’ve surpassed my expectations before.

MASTER:

~kicks at the broken radio as he comes to a stop~ the claw? ~looks at the floor thoughtful~ they’re not sentient, connected directly to Her, so no I wouldn’t have influence… unless She was feeling particularly nice.

ALIA:

~peers out from behind the Doctor, relaxing when she sees the Master is okay~

DOCTOR:

Which, considering how much fun She had with this not-even-really-a-test test and the fact that we forced her brief shutdown, She probably isn’t. But really, what other options are there?

JACK:

Is there another way to get control of the elevator again? It looks to me like we’ve got time. ~he asks, leaning on the wall of the elevator casually~

MASTER:

~answers~ I suppose… If we fixed the connection, it would have power again… but then… ~looks downward thoughtfully~

CLAW:

~silently approaches the Master from behind, its prongs wide open and ready for strike~

DOCTOR:

~curses under his breath, mentally alerting the Master to what’s happening in the hopes that it will get him alarmed before GLaDOS, though he’s already starting to step out of the elevator, ready to jump to help the Master if need be~

MASTER:

~whips around in panic as the claw lunges for him, falling back in his haste to get away~

CLAW:

~closes on thin air~

MASTER:

~scrambles back to crawl into the elevator though he doubts it will serve as much protection, with them all practically cornered~

ALIA:

Daddy? ~asks in a high-pitched voice of panic~

DOCTOR:

~speaks quickly, his eyes locked onto the claw as he stands half inside and half outside of the elevator~ guys, we can’t stay in the elevator; She could simply pick it up and break it off of its shaft. We need to run. Stay together so we don’t lose anyone, and run. Oh, and duck. ~picks up and hurls the radio over their heads to break the glass at the back of the elevator to let them run directly away from the claw~

JACK:

~ducks to shield himself from shrapnel and goes to exit the elevator through the opened hole~

ALIA:  
~follows Jack~

CLAW:

~opens its prongs again~

MASTER:

~gets to his feet and is about to follow the others, but he hesitates, staring ahead at the small dot of yellow light that seems to have suddenly appeared in the darkness~

GLaDOS:

*Look at you all, running away. Like mice in a cage.*

DOCTOR:

What are you doing? Ru-… ~sees the yellow light~ well shit… we still can’t lose Alia and Jack… Though we’re probably closed off from everywhere else… ~looks directly at the light he assumes is Her optic, swallowing back fear as he thinks through the situation, conflicted~

ENVIRONMENT:

~lights in the room gradually turn back on, illuminating the mainframe room and GLaDOS herself~

JACK:

~stops running when he realizes there’s nowhere to run to~

ALIA:

~looks up at GLaDOS with her eyes wide in fear~

GLaDOS:

*Hmm; what shall I do this time to punish you for attempting to escape?*

DOCTOR:

~sighs, his voice a bit shaky as he speaks~ Alia, this is GLaDOS… ~grasps for something to say, something defiant that won’t get anyone hurt, finding himself at a loss and just sinking down to sit in a curled up ball on the floor~ I’m sorry… ~the words are muffled and hardly audible~

GLaDOS:

*Hm? Were you speaking to me? I didn’t catch that.*

JACK:

~continues to look for any way out of the room~

ALIA:

~backs up to the farthest wall~

CLAW:

~reaches into the elevator and snaps at the Doctor threateningly~

DOCTOR:

~looks up at GLaDOS, speaking more weakly than he’d like~ in fact, I _wasn’t_ speaking to you. I don’t owe _you_ an apology… not anymore, at least.

MASTER:

~gets down beside the Doctor and wraps his arms around the other Timelord, making it more difficult for the claw to pick out either one of them individually while also trying to be a comforting presence for the Doctor~

GLaDOS:

*Oh, really? When would you have _ever_ owed me an apology?*

DOCTOR:

~relaxes just a little with the Master’s comfort~ I told you already: I killed Caroline and I still hold my belief in the idea that you and her are, to a certain extent, the same person.

GLaDOS:

*I know; I just wanted to hear you say it again.* ~moves the claw away from the Doctor and the Master since they’re being too difficult to catch, instead reaching over to Jack and picking him up rather easily~ *And I _have_ been wanting to try this…* ~throws Jack at the nearest wall so forcefully that he leaves streaks of blood when he slides back to the ground~

ALIA:

~this makes her squeak in fear and distress~

DOCTOR:

~just grimaces and curls back up, remembering the bracelet that he assumes She has control of and waiting for Her to get satisfied with how much She’s hurt them, knowing there’s nothing he can do about it now~

GLaDOS:

~leaves Jack sprawled awkwardly on the floor, now reaching over to Alia and carefully picking her up~

ALIA:

~screams in panic~

GLaDOS:

*We’ll need to do something about the little one as well…* ~brings Alia up close, looking her up and down as if in thought~

MASTER:

~stands, worried about Alia~

DOCTOR:

~stays where he is, looking up at Alia despite the fact that he’d much rather not watch what he can’t control, looking just about as desperately afraid as he feels, mentally counting down to when he knows Jack will get up~

MASTER:

~looks down at the Doctor almost in disgust, running out of the elevator~

GLaDOS:

~drops Alia from the high altitude~

MASTER:

~manages to intercept her fall before she reaches the ground. Backs up and sets her down, sharply telling the Doctor to reconnect the elevator through their mental link~

JACK:

~gasps himself awake~

DOCTOR:

~gets up, going to reconnect the elevator as quickly as he can, ashamed of himself for not even _trying_ to do anything~

JACK:

~staggers to his feet, wiping blood off of the side of his face~

MASTER:

~ushers Alia forward~

ENVIRONMENT:

~Alia gets into the compartment just as the doors slide closed and the compartment moves upward~

MASTER:

~watches them, figuring that at least he got them out of there, even though GLaDOS was controlling the elevator~

GLaDOS:

*It really is amusing to watch your antics. How you think anything you do somehow has influence.*

DOCTOR:

~he hears GLaDOS and gets the sudden suspicion that the elevator will be dropped, looking over at Alia and speaking a little hesitantly~ are you okay…?

ALIA:

~is shivering in fear~ I-I’m scared. ~looks herself over as a brief evaluation of her physical state~ but okay.

DOCTOR:

~gets down on his knees and wraps his arms around Alia, holding her close to himself~ I’m sorry…

ALIA:

~wraps her arms around the Doctor as well~ why’s th—ah! ~jumps back as the Doctor’s bracelet delivers a long and painful shock and she feels some of it in her back, the shock powerful enough to knock someone out~

DOCTOR:

~curls in pain, shaking as the electricity courses through him, fighting to keep himself conscious even after he’s fallen to the floor entirely and the edges of his vision darken~

BRACELET:

~the electricity stops, not getting to the point of actually knocking the Doctor out~

ALIA:

~cries out in panic~ Daddy!

ENVIRONMENT:

~outside, the lobby passes by and the people there look at the scene in surprise~

DOCTOR:

~is still shaking almost violently, making himself look up at Alia, it taking a good deal of effort to speak~ I’ll… be… okay.

ALIA:

Daddy… ~gets down onto her knees beside the Doctor, looking at him in concern~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator stutters, coming to a damaged stop before falling downward~

ALIA:

~she grips the Doctor’s jumpsuit and screws her eyes shut, stifling a scream~

DOCTOR:

~manages to bring his left arm around Alia, not daring to do so with his right~ shh… ~brings Alia on top of him, hoping he can at least break the fall~

ALIA:

~buries her face in the Doctor’s chest as they fall~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator crashes to the floor as all of the glass shatters, raining down on them~

ALIA:

~sits up carefully after a moment, grimacing at the few cuts she got from the glass as she looks down at the Doctor to see if he’s okay~

DOCTOR:

~opens his eyes, squinting as everything’s just a little out of focus, shivering from the lingering electricity and able to feel cuts where the glass got him, forcing a faint smile~ you alright…? ~his voice is weak and shaky but he’s glad he can speak at all by now~

ALIA:

M-hm. ~nods, still looking concerned~ are _you_ okay, Daddy?

MASTER:

~unsteadily approaches them, speaking with his words slurred~ Doctor… a’ll… ~stumbles and collapses~

DOCTOR:

Always. ~pauses to breathe before instructing Alia~ worry about yours-self. ~looks over at the Master and tries to locate Jack drowsily~ if you can’t do that… worry about them.

ALIA:

~coughs the greenish chemical in the air out of her lungs, sitting up and looking around as shards of glass slide off of her~ I’ll try. ~notices both Jack and the Master have collapsed, though Jack isn’t moving; starts to cough more and curl in on herself with a whimper~ owwww!

DOCTOR:

Neuro… toxin… you’ll p-pass out in a… minute. ~lets himself breathe the stuff deeply, willing himself to pass out as his shivering intensifies slightly at the pain~

ALIA:

~looks frightened, wincing~ pass… out? ~whines, curling until her head rests on the Doctor’s stomach and eventually going limp there~

BRACELET:

~when the Doctor gets close to going unconscious, the wristband gives him a jolt that forces him to full attention~

DOCTOR:

~whines, looking at GLaDOS~ why…? ~failing to finish the question as he finds he could ask too many “why’s” at the moment and speaking takes too much effort, tearing up~

GLaDOS:

~turns to look at the Doctor unsympathetically~ *For science. If you’d like, I’d be willing to trade a ‘get out of jail free’ card with you.*

DOCTOR:

What… do you mean…? ~responds warily, remembering how well their last deal worked and wanting to know what this “trade” entails~

JACK:

~wakes up somewhere further off in the room~

GLaDOS:

*I’m feeling nice. How about I let you choose one person—any of them-* ~glances around at the various conscious and unconscious bodies~ *-for me to let out of the facility. That’s the trade.*

DOCTOR:

I’ll have to… ask you to specify. Because being “let out” of something… is a rather loose term, don’t you think…? ~he’s fighting to remain conscious again by now~

BRACELET:

~shocks him again, a little stronger this time, but the neurotoxin gradually seems to be filtering out of the room by now~

GLaDOS:

~nods~ *Ah, I’m glad you caught on. Yes—I am using “let out” quite loosely. Feel free to assume the worst.*

DOCTOR:

~flinches at the shock, answering GLaDOS bitterly~ I think I’ve made enough d-deals with the devil… you’d only give so-someone a “get out of jail free card” I-if you could make them use a r-rigged D-20.

GLaDOS:

~chuckles in a quiet, dastardly way~ *Oh, Doctor. I’m not going to apologize—because I’m not sorry—but I seem to have lied about this being an option on your part.* ~looks satisfied~ *Though, of couse, I’m not making you do this right now.*

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator shudders, creaking weakly as it carefully ascends, with both Alia and the Doctor still inside~

DOCTOR:

~tries to sit up, keeping his left arm around Alia protectively, watching out the broken glass door once he finally manages to do so, shaking horribly~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the battered elevator comes to a stop at the lobby, the mechanism that opens the doors running but doing nothing~

KEVIN:

~looks over at them, his eyes widening at the state of the lift and its passengers~ Jesus-… are you okay? ~stands up, wanting to go help but swallowing in his moment of unsure hesitation~

DOCTOR:

Alia passed out… from neurotoxin. ~looks over at Kevin, his voice strained as he speaks~ I wasn’t allowed to… pass out. Jack died twice, but he’ll b-be fine. The Master’s unc-conscious too, b-but okay.

KEVIN:

~walks over to the Doctor despite his insecurities, crouching down by the doorway and offering his hands to help the Doctor out~ Neurotoxin? ~looks worried by the mention of it~

DOCTOR:

Thanks. ~takes Kevin’s hand with his right, almost dropping Alia but managing to get them both out of the elevator with Kevin’s help~ and yes… Neurotoxin. It doesn’t kill Timelords, b-but She made an enhanced version th-that can knock us unconscious.

KEVIN:

But… it kills humans? ~swallows nervously, subconsciously holding his breath in case any of the fumes came up with the elevator. Looks around the room, but they’re the only ones in it at the moment~

DOCTOR:

Don’t worry, She was filtering it out of the area w-when I left. ~lays on the floor next to where he’s set Alia, still shivering though not as badly as before~ takes a good amount to kill you too—if it kills anyone, it’s not an accid-dent.

KEVIN:

~lets out his held breath in a relieved sigh~ that’s good… um… ~looks up suddenly when the elevator whines, slowly starting to descend into the shaft again~

DOCTOR:

That’s probably for the others… ~makes himself relax, trying to stop his own shaking in vain, looking over at Alia though he knows she’s unconscious~

KEVIN:

I—uh—you’ve got to move, sorry. I could- ~stops when the phone on the desk rings, going over to the desk to pick it up, looking relieved after a moment and setting the phone down~ okay, we’ve got people coming to help get you where you’re supposed to be.

DOCTOR:

Okay. ~looks over at Kevin, making himself sit up~ thanks for everything… I mean it…

KEVIN:

You’re welcome. ~smiles slightly, though he looks at the Doctor almost pleadingly before sitting down at his desk~

THOMAS:

~comes through a door to the Doctor’s right along with the woman that was escorting the Master earlier~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a new, empty elevator arrives in the shaft and the doors slide open easily~

DOCTOR:

~turns to the newcomers, his shivering noticeable but not terrible~ hello Thomas and- I didn’t get a name, but I’m sorry for the Master’s antics.

WOMAN:

Laura. ~gives her name, shaking her head~ no harm done.

THOMAS:

~comes over and gets down beside Alia, looking at the both of them in concern~ May I…? ~goes to pick up Alia but pauses for permission~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly~ go ahead. ~gets to his feet with a good deal of effort, falling back onto his knees at first but managing to get up with some help from the nearest wall~

LAURA:

~goes over to the Doctor, offering her help~

THOMAS:

~scoops Alia up in his arms rather easily~ we’re in the elevator this time. ~heads to the elevator with Alia~

DOCTOR:

~mutters something under his breath regarding elevators, accepting Laura’s assistance, glad Alia’s with one of the humans he’s had a good first-impression of~

LAURA:

~helps him into the new elevator~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the doors slide closed, the elevator heading downward a few levels before the elevator stops in a hallway that looks almost like the interior of a hotel rather than the unwelcoming white-paneled hallway with the test chambers~

THOMAS:

~steps outside~

ALIA:

~stirs in his arms~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the hallway with wary interest, glancing over when Alia stirs but wondering why they’re being escorted here as he doesn’t dare think the area is remotely as nice and welcoming as it looks~

LAURA:

~follows Thomas out with the Doctor~

ALIA:

~blinks her eyes open and flails at the stranger carrying her in reflexive panic~ lemme go!

THOMAS:

~sets her down quickly~

DOCTOR:

~speaks hastily to ease Alia’s panic~ It’s okay, Alia, we’re okay. Thomas here was just carrying you because you were unconscious and I couldn’t.

ALIA:

~quickly goes over to the Doctor when she hears him speak, still a little disoriented as she wraps her arms around him for a sense of security~ Daddy… where are we…

THOMAS:

~looks down at them sympathetically, continuing to walk down the hallway to the right~

DOCTOR:

Still in Aperture, a bit below the lobby, but still above… Her. ~brings the arm he’s not using to steady himself around Alia in reassurance~

ALIA:

~shudders, seeing GLaDOS in person having raised a new sense of fear towards Her~ do you know where Father is?

LAURA:

~gently nudges the Doctor forward~

THOMAS:

~stops by a door on the left side of the hallway and unlocks it~

DOCTOR:

Not for sure… I’ll see what I can find out. ~mentally checks on the Master, what GLaDOS said about him choosing someone to be “let go” bothering him as he goes to open the door~

MASTER:

~doesn’t respond~

ALIA:

~lets go of the Doctor, looking around warily as she follows him to the door~

THOMAS:

~opens the door for them~

ENVIRONMENT:

~inside is a small room with a double bed, adequately furnished, and almost identical to every other room in the enrichment center~

THOMAS:

Now I don’t know why she wants you in here, but she does.

DOCTOR:

I _think_ this is some sick joke, given the fact that I can’t sleep. ~walks into the room, stumbling a bit but managing to get over to sit on the edge of the bed~ also, I know She can at least filter gasses into these as well.

ALIA:

~stops in the doorway, looking scared at the Doctor’s comment~

LAURA:

~nudges her inside and the door closes behind her, locking~

ALIA:

Daddy… did you hear anything from Father? ~slowly walks into the room, looking around but climbing onto the bed with no will to explore~

DOCTOR:

No, he might still be unconscious… neither of them came back up to the lobby. ~sighs, laying on the bed and finding it tauntingly comfortable~

ALIA:

~looks over at the Doctor, then gets off of the bed to look around the room~ I hope they’re okay… ~walks around, looking in the minifridge and finding some frozen bread, pulling the loaf out in confusion~ what’s this?

DOCTOR:

It’s food. I wouldn’t trust it, though it takes more than poison to kill a Timelord. ~smiles reassuringly at Alia, thinking for a second before speaking again~ how about I tell you a story to pass the time?

ALIA:

~puts the bread back and closes up the fridge, bounding up to the bed and eagerly crawling up beside the Doctor~ yes!

DOCTOR:

Alright… in my last regeneration I had just been through a lot and I was alone—just me and the TARDIS. So naturally, I went to solve an alien-based disaster on Earth. There were live plastic people! They posed as mannequins to take people by surprise. One shop that they were in actually blew up, but no one but the plastic people were in there when it exploded—I had saved the one person who was in the shop.

ALIA:

Who was it? ~asks with interest, sitting cross-legged beside the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~smiles~ it was a young woman named Rose Tyler. She was a brilliant human… ~looks almost sad for a moment~ but anyways, she helped me with the plastic people along with her boyfriend Mickey. Actually, Mickey didn’t do an awful lot that time but he was his own kind of extraordinary.

ALIA:

~notices the Doctor’s change in expression, looking somewhat concerned~ did something happen to her?

DOCTOR:

~looks at Alia with a more serious expression~ Rose loved me… and heck, I might have loved her back, but the life I lived put my companions at constant risk. Every human companion I ever had or will have will either die or leave. Humans only live for 100 years. That’s 10 10s. Timelords can live for thousands of years, 1000 being 10 100s.

ALIA:

~stares at the wall in thought as she tries to understand the quantities of numbers she’s been given, eventually concluding~ that’s a lot. ~looks back at the Doctor~ why was it so dangerous for you?

DOCTOR:

I was looking for trouble. Keeping the peace and protecting the human race became my job, and I enjoyed it, but it made it so I was almost always in the middle of some dangerous crisis.

ALIA:

~looks like she’s about to ask another question, but the door clicks and she turns her head to look at the man who enters the room~

MAN:

~the same man who gave the Doctor his bracelet looks at his clipboard~ five-hundred eighteen.

DOCTOR:

~looks at the man defensively, sitting up~ and what is it you want this time?

MAN:

~gestures to Alia~ subject 518; I’m assuming that’s her. I’m to bring her down to testing track one.

DOCTOR:

~gives the man a wary look, liking the way that it sounds like a simpler, less dangerous test~ if you can look me in the eye and promise me she’ll be okay, I’ll let you go. You see, she’s my daughter and I will fight you if I have to—and if you promise me she ends up not okay, on both you and GLaDOS’ heads be it.

MAN:

I take no part in making the decisions around here. I’m just the messenger. ~meets the Doctor’s gaze fearlessly~ I cannot promise either.

ALIA:

~crawls closer to the Doctor, frowning at the man~

DOCTOR:

I hate to break it to you, but Claire and Caroline were both just the messenger as well. ~reaches into his pocket with his left hand~ and, quite frankly, I didn’t like you from the start, and that had nothing to do with your job, so at least tell me whether the ones she’s going to are some of the more safe tests.

MAN:

~nods respectfully~ that they are. As long as she’s got some common sense, she’s relatively safe. ~keeps looking directly at the Doctor almost challengingly~

DOCTOR:

…Alright. ~relaxes a bit, looking over at Alia~ go on with him, Alia… it’s better than anyone getting hurt; we’d only get in more trouble for the fight anyway. ~hugs Alia briefly, smiling at her~

ALIA:

~hugs the Doctor back; looking up at him sadly for a moment~ okay… goodbye, Daddy. ~hesitatntly slides off of the bed and walks over to the man~

MAN:

~turns and leads her out of the room with a hand at her back, the door closing and locking behind them~

DOCTOR:

~lays back in the bed, occupying himself with his own thoughts~

~•~

MENTAL:

~the Master doesn’t communicate with the Doctor the whole time he’s stuck in the room, which is difficult for him to tell but certainly feels longer than how long he waited while the others were sleeping~

GLaDOS:

*Hello. Just thought I’d check in with you; you looked awfully bored.*

DOCTOR:

~is about to snap at GLaDOS, not feeling like it’s really necessary and speaking conversationally instead~ yeah, I don’t believe I’ve ever stayed still for so long… minus when I’ve slept.

GLaDOS:

*Sorry about that.* ~doesn’t sound sorry in the slightest~ *Anyway. I’m not here just to chat—I felt that I should properly elaborate on that “offer” I gave you earlier. The mandatory offer.*

DOCTOR:

~sounds agitated as he answers~ Alright, I’m listening. ~wishing GLaDOS didn’t always feel the need to say something before getting to the point~

GLaDOS:

*So. I’ve been getting a little bored with his happy family of yours. And, considering I now know you Timelords have multiple lifespans, as practically entirely different people-* ~pauses, having been starting to sound overly enthusiastic and taking a moment to settle~ *I can afford to lose one. And when I say lose, or “let go”, I mean kill.*

DOCTOR:

So, you’re asking me to choose one of us—myself, the Master, or Alia—to be killed but only to the point of regeneration. Or are you going to kill one of us entirely? Because, let me tell you, they feel like the same thing.

GLaDOS:

*Completely. It wouldn’t be ‘losing’ otherwise, would it? Besides, I’ve gotten your daughter to regenerate once already; there’s no point in making a big fuss over it _now._ *

DOCTOR:

~mutters something under his breath angrily, trying to think logically but knowing from the start who he’s going to choose, his voice unsteady when he speaks~ fine. Kill me. Call me selfish, but I wouldn’t be able to live with killing either of the others anyway. ~mentally tries desperately to address the Master~

MASTER:

~peers into the room a moment later with a bloody labcoat slung over his arm, grinning madly~ who are we killing, now? ~sounds overly excited~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen as he looks at the Master, seeming genuinely afraid of him for the first time in a long while~ I’m more concerned over whose blood that is at the moment.

MASTER:

~glances down at the labcoat as if just realizing it’s there~ oh, this? ~shrugs, taking the bloody knife out of the pocket before tossing it carelessly to the floor~ nobody important.

DOCTOR:

Human lives never were important to you. ~shakes his head~ well, at least you seem far from bored… which is what I was left to be. GLaDOS has been my only conversation for a while.

MASTER:

~tilts his head to the side inquisitively, holding the knife in front of his face~ no one was dead… ~crosses his eyes slightly to look at the blood on the knife as a wide grin spreads across his face~ when I left. ~chuckles~

DOCTOR:

~gives the Master a look of almost disappointed understanding~ I got word that Alia regenerated… I thought you should know.

MASTER:

~puts the knife down, looking back at the Doctor~ have you seen her? ~even though the Master’s clearly conscious, his mind still seems blocked~

DOCTOR:

Not since she left for testing… though the guy who took her is definitely on the list of people that I hate now. I got the news from GLaDOS… ~seems a bit distracted as he speaks~ so it’s about as reliable as anything else down here.

MASTER:

~gives a tight smile, waving the knife back and forth in his hand with abrupt movements~ that includes me and you, doesn’t it? ~takes a step closer to the bed, as he runs a finger along the length of his weapon almost threateningly~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master, completely disregarding the knife for the moment~ seems like it should. Neither of us have been terribly consistent in our decisions, have we? I guess I might be more predictable, but that’s usually the case, isn’t it?

MASTER:

~takes another step then stands straight, folding his arms and tapping the point of the knife against his cheek as if deeply pondering something as he looks at the Doctor, noticing he’s not moved from lying down on the bed~ you’re awfully tired, aren’t you?

DOCTOR:

Getting there; running several miles then attempting escape and nearly passing out a couple times does generally make one tired… though pure boredom doesn’t help either.

MASTER:

~nicks his own cheek with the knife, whether or not it was accidental being unclear, just before lunging for the bed and vaulting himself up onto it so that he lands straddling the Doctor, grinning down at him~

DOCTOR:

~tenses slightly the second the Master lands though it takes a second for the fact that he’s pretty much entirely at the mercy of the Master to settle in, remembering the blindfold and rope as well and hoping his alarm doesn’t serve as a reminder to the Master~

MASTER:

~brings the knife up to himself, licking the blood off of it contentedly and licking his lips afterward~ hm. Humans don’t taste half bad; it _has_ been a while since I’ve had one. ~sets his arm back where it was next to the Doctor’s shoulder, meeting his gaze mischievously~ though I bet _you’d_ taste much better than any human.

DOCTOR:

~smiles as if he’s been given a genuine compliment, meeting the Master’s gaze equally~ I know that _you_ do. ~refusing to let this encounter be negative even though he’s willing to bet that GLaDOS would hold off killing him until she sees the symptoms of sleep deprivation~

MASTER:

~grins down at the Doctor, chuckling as he lightly traces the Doctor’s jawline with the tip of his knife~ well then. I hope you don’t mind if I… take a sample. I am quite hungry, after all. ~presses the knife threateningly into the Doctor’s cheek, but doesn’t cut him just yet~

DOCTOR:

~his smile falters and a tear escapes his eye when he answers~ go ahead… take all you want, I’m going to die anyway. ~wishing he didn’t feel the need to tell the Master what’s going on~

MASTER:

~tilts his head to the side, smiling~ aren’t we all? ~takes the Doctor’s invitation quite seriously, thoughtfully browsing the Doctor before pulling up the Doctor’s left sleeve, sticking the point of the knife into his arm and carving out a small chunk of his flesh~

DOCTOR:

~tenses but lets the Master do what he will, the fact that the Master’s losing his mind again being more than evident to him~ I mean soon, you bastard. ~the insult comes half-heartedly, like he’s trying to be mad at the Master for this but failing~

MASTER:

~stoops down to lick the blood that’s welling up from the Doctor’s wound, then consumes the chunk he’ taken out of the Doctor without a second thought. Sits up, looking like he’s thoroughly enjoying it before swallowing and responding to the Doctor~ oh. Is She doing it or are you?

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master with a desperately bewildered expression, his eyes brimming with tears~ you really are having trouble caring about _anything,_ aren’t you?

MASTER:

~giggles, sucking the blood out from between his teeth~ why should I? Caring is not an advantage.

DOCTOR:

Listen to yourself! You sound like a bloody Dalek! The only differences I can see is the plain fact that you’re Timelord and not hell-bent on killing me.

MASTER:

But they do have a point; Daleks. Emotions—caring about things—they just slow you down. ~brings a hand to the Doctor’s cheek reassuringly~ I do care about you, though… it’s not like I _want_ you to die.

DOCTOR:

If I didn’t have emotions, I wouldn’t have done anything… I’m not suicidal, by the way, GLaDOS gave me a choice: one of us—“us” meaning you, Alia, and I—were going to die and She made me choose… I refuse to be the reason you or Alia die.

MASTER:

~sets the knife down on the bedside table~ how sweet of you. ~looks thoughtful for a moment before lowering himself to the Doctor’s chest and bringing one arm around the Doctor’s neck~ you know, maybe it’s just another bluff of hers. She’s ‘killed’ me before, which caused the both of us a lot of unnecessary grief.

DOCTOR:

~smiles a little, relieved by the fact that the Master seems to have at least some sense left~ yeah… I’m just glad I looked for you after you fell instead of accepting GLaDOS’ explanation that even had the TARDIS thinking I was going insane.

MASTER:

~swallows, almost nervously, as the memory comes back to him~ I don’t know _what_ She would have done if you hadn’t come down… I couldn’t have moved anywhere on my own; I was stranded…

DOCTOR:

I guess you’re lucky I’m stubborn, then. ~smiles slightly, wrapping his arms around the Master, trying to mentally state that they should be able to tell if the other’s dead with the mental link~

MENTAL:

~the message seems to bounce back and reroute, though the Master still receives it telepathically since they’ve got physical contact with each other~

MASTER:

~seems to realize something’s not right, looking up in concern and pushing himself forward to touch foreheads with the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~realizes it as well, having already thought that it was odd that he couldn’t contact the Master before, easily letting the Master in mentally, his mind as open to the Master as it usually is. Examines the link itself~

MASTER:

~finds their link has been broken off, which the Master informs the Doctor he took no part in doing, getting the idea that this means GLaDOS can break off their link whenever She wants. Uneasily starts to mend the link again~

DOCTOR:

~helps to fix their link, figuring this means that neither of them will know if the other’s alive or not beyond Her word and whenever they get to see each other, glad that the Master had no part in this and stating that he didn’t do it either~

MASTER:

~relaxes slightly after the link is reestablished, suddenly sitting up after a moment and smiling down at the Doctor deviously~ so… the bracelet’s keeping you from sleeping, is it? ~glances down at the Doctor’s right wrist~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master a little warily~ yes… and going unconscious, but I did assume that would be the case once I figured out the purpose of the damned thing.

MASTER:

~meets the Doctor’s gaze, taking the Doctor’s right hand and bringing it up so he can place a small kiss on it, grinning afterwards and looking over the bracelet until he finds the lock mechanism~ if you’re going to die, you’ll die well-rested if I have anything to say about it.

DOCTOR:

~smiles though he looks more curious than anything, hoping She doesn’t just decide to electrocute both of them while She can though he really does want the bracelet off if possible~

MASTER:

~reaches over to the knife he set down, taking another look at the bracelet before rotating the knife so its handle faces downward and bringing it down forcefully on the mechanism. The impact moves the ends apart slightly so he can wedge the point of the knife in between, pulling the bracelet open entirely after some prying~ what happened to “never quiet”, Doctor? ~smirks slightly~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles at the comment though he clearly heeds the underlying warning as the Master does have a knife this time, speaking in an almost mocking tone~ my sincerest apologies, Master. ~moves his wrist out of and away from the bracelet~

MASTER:

~moves quickly, bringing the knife up to the Doctor’s neck with a grin~ I’d watch my tone, if I were you. ~tosses the bracelet onto the floor on the other side of the room~ and I just helped you out of that thing; I’d say I deserve some gratitude.

DOCTOR:

Yes, Master… ~the answer comes automatically though it takes him a second to actually process what’s going on and add~ of course you do.

MASTER:

~presses the knife into the Doctor’s neck, changing its angle so that the blade just barely breaks skin~ I shouldn’t have to tell you twice. ~keeps his gaze locked onto the Doctor’s, harshly staring him down~

DOCTOR:

~his breath hitches in his throat before he replies hastily~ of course; I’ve been good for nearly nothing, haven’t I? You’ve just been trying to help me from the start, you shouldn’t have to put up with all of my crap. You have to be the best thing to ever happen to me.

MASTER:

~brings the knife away from the Doctor’s neck~ all I needed was a simple thank-you. ~leans down to lick away the small amount of blood drawn from the wound on the Doctor’s neck~

DOCTOR:

Well, it’s better safe than sorry, Master. ~relaxes a little again, easily letting the Master consume the blood from his neck though it stings~

MASTER:

~grins~ yes, it is. It’s good that you’re learning. ~sets the knife on the bed, running both hands through the Doctor’s hair rewardingly and leaning down to give him a brief kiss~

DOCTOR:

~happily accepts his reward, kissing the Master back briefly before responding~ it’s only taken me 900 years.

MASTER:

~caresses the Doctor’s cheek as he backs off, sitting up and moving the knife back to the bedside table~ how about you get some rest? I didn’t pry that bracelet off for nothing.

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~nods, smiling warmly at the Master before making himself comfortable enough to sleep, relaxing and hoping She doesn’t stop him~

MASTER:

~gets off of the Doctor, going over to the front door to look outside for a moment before making sure the door is closed. Walks back to the bed and climbs up to lie beside the Doctor, bringing an arm around him protectively~ don’t worry, I’ll keep watch.

DOCTOR:

Thank you, Master… ~relaxes entirely, letting the Master reassure him and easily drifting off to sleep~

~•~

MASTER:

~when the Doctor wakes up, his sleep having been entirely uninterrupted, the Master speaks softly from where he lies beside the other Timelord, able to tell that he’s awake~ did you sleep well, my dear Doctor?

DOCTOR:

~speaks drowsily, smiling~ yes, Master. ~blinks his eyes open, taking a moment to remember where he is and why~

MASTER:

~sits up, smiling back at the Doctor~ good. ~turns the knife in his hand so the blade faces away from them~ I didn’t run into any trouble.

DOCTOR:

I would probably be able to tell if you got into trouble one way or another, but thanks for telling me, anyway. ~looks at his wrist thoughtfully as he sits up, seeming a little worried~

MASTER:

~absently wipes the fresh blood on the knife off onto the bedsheets, noticing the Doctor’s look of concern and glancing over at the Doctor’s wrist as well~ is something wrong?

DOCTOR:

No, I just don’t understand why She’d let us completely ruin a test like this without a fight. ~shrugs dismissively~ though I guess I shouldn’t get worried about it; hallucinating and forgetting stuff are far from my favorite pastimes, and that’s what would have eventually happened.

MASTER:

~reaches a hand into his right pocket, smirking as he crawls over to sit behind the Doctor~ thank you for reminding me. ~puts the Doctor into a headlock, his right hand coming up to push a needle into the Doctor’s neck, administering a hallucinogenic chemical that doesn’t kick in right away~

DOCTOR:

Master! What the hell-!? ~feels the needle go into his neck, almost instantly understanding what’s happened and only becoming more panicked~

MASTER:

~chuckles darkly, pulling the needle out and stuffing it into his pocket again~ you’ve got an appointment, Doctor. ~keeping the Doctor in a headlock, takes out the rope from his other pocket~ now listen, or I’ll have to do something worse.

DOCTOR:

I-I’m listening, Master. ~doesn’t try to get out of the headlock, trying to find the reason in all of this as he would have listened equally well were he not drugged~

MASTER:

Stay. ~reaches around the Doctor with the rope, looping it through the ring on the Doctor’s collar before securing it with a sliding knot and pulling the makeshift lead taut. Grabs his knife before getting off of the bed, roughly pulling the Doctor up into a standing position~

DOCTOR:

~stands, staying still out of fear and obedience, remembering the Master’s rules and speaking~ but… I could have listened with or without hallucinogens, Master.

MASTER:

~loops the Doctor’s lead around his left hand, tugging it once to indicate he wants the Doctor to follow as he walks toward the door~ that, ~stoops to pick up the bloodied labcoat, putting the knife back in its pocket~ was not my decision. ~puts one arm through the coat, trading off the rope to his other hand so he can put his right arm through the other sleeve~

DOCTOR:

~follows, speaking almost casually~ well, at least I can make sense of all this now. ~glances around himself, blinking repetitively as he starts seeing things he’s pretty sure aren’t real~ you know, I had a nice hallucination once…

MASTER:

~shifts the labcoat up over his shoulders, heading out the door and into the hallway~ let me guess; the one of me? ~glances back at the Doctor, smiling~

DOCTOR:

Yup. ~smiles back at the Master, avoiding running into something that the Master can’t see~ although, I don’t remember ever telling you the entirety of what happened… you didn’t do much, but I was more than happy to have you around, even though I knew it wasn’t real.

MASTER:

~shortens the lead, as it is longer than the other one, and walks down the hallway towards the elevator~ heel. ~says it as a casual comment, then looks at the Doctor again~ you know, I find that quite adorable.

DOCTOR:

~walks closer to the Master, standing next to him and slightly behind as he knows the command~ luckily, it was hallucinogenic gas, so at least the Torchwood crew didn’t think I was completely insane… well, to an extent. ~looks at the wall as if reading something, though in reality there is no writing, shaking his head afterward~

MASTER:

~mentally wonders about what would happen if he purposefully got the Doctor’s leash stuck in the doors of the elevator as they closed; smiles whimsically to himself, looking over at the Doctor as they come to a stop in front of the elevator~ why don’t you tell me what you’re seeing, Doctor? ~gives a small, warning tug on his collar~

DOCTOR:

Well, on the wall back there is writing from the impossible planet—the one with possible literal Satan on it. The writing couldn’t be translated beyond “WELCOME TO HELL”, which I suppose is appropriate. Only this time, the rest of it is Her usual “welcome back” speech instead of that ancient language.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator arrives in the shaft, the doors sliding open~

MASTER:

~steps inside, with the Doctor in tow~ She has a “welcome back” speech? ~mentally makes his approval of the Doctor’s quick answer evident~

DOCTOR:

She usually says something along the lines of “hello and welcome back to Aperture Science, though I know the feeling of being welcome may not come with being back.” Though it varies… ~seems to purposefully avoid looking at the Master after a moment though he easily follows him into the elevator~

MASTER:

~gives the Doctor a sideways glance of suspicion as the doors close behind them~ go on; I didn’t tell you to stop.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator moves upward~

DOCTOR:

~shifts his weight a little uncomfortably~ you look like you did when we first took you off of the old mainframe… and I’m assuming this isn’t actually the broken elevator. ~nudges broken glass that only he sees with his foot~

MASTER:

~smirks, speaking mockingly~ what, are you scared? ~steps toward the Doctor with a wide grin, holding his hands out like claws~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator comes to a stop in the lobby. Outside, the man who took Alia is standing at Kevin’s desk with a bandage over one side of his face~

MAN:

~is talking to Kevin before he sees the Master, looking scared for a moment before turning away and hurriedly walking off into another hallway~

DOCTOR:

Ah, okay, now I completely understand why you knifed at least that guy… thank you, that saves me the trouble of getting payback myself. As for your question, yes I am.

MASTER:

~chuckles in satisfaction~ it was my pleasure. ~wraps the rope around his hand until the lead is taut, striding out of the elevator almost proudly~ now be good; remember, we’re in public.

DOCTOR:

~almost rolls his eyes at that, catching himself and speaking instead~ yes, Master. ~glances over at Kevin, looking worried for a second before seeming to decide that whatever he’s seeing is part of the hallucination~

MASTER:

~walks up to the desk, grinning at Kevin~ passage to death row, please.

KEVIN:

~looks over at the Doctor sadly, then at the Master, slowly sliding a keycard onto the desk without a word~

MASTER:

~takes it and starts walking forward, turning right to walk into a new hallway before stopping, staring at the card~

DOCTOR:

~just follows, getting more and more of what’s going on as he walks along beside the Master, taking a second to remember to speak~ so, this is it?

MASTER:

~slowly lets the reality of the situation dawn on him, looking up at the Doctor almost desperately~ I… ~glances downward, stepping toward the Doctor and wrapping his arms around him tightly~ I really hope this is a bluff.

DOCTOR:

~hugs the Master back~ I hope so too… ~blinks back tears~ you had better take care of yourself in the meantime. Alia needs you.

MASTER:

~nods, tightening his grip~ if I can’t get to you… I’ll get us out. ~closes his eyes~ even though I don’t want to. I’ll do it for you.

DOCTOR:

Thank you. ~tears stream down his face despite his efforts as he holds the Master with an equal grip~ I love you…

MASTER:

~sighs, lifting his head to look up at the Doctor with a small smile~ I know. ~brings his hands up to the Doctor’s face, wiping away his tears and bringing him forward into a kiss~

DOCTOR:

~kisses the Master back, letting himself forget everything for a moment, flinching slightly after a second~

MASTER:

~backs off when the Doctor flinches, not asking about what caused it as he steps out of the Doctor’s hold, the card in one hand, and leads the Doctor through the door he hesitated to enter~

ENVIRONMENT:

~in the hallway, the doors start at 241 ascending~

DOCTOR:

~follows easily, glad that it’s the Master escorting him to his death and not some random human~

MASTER:

~smiles slightly at the Doctor’s thought, coming to a stop in front of door 246 and turning to face the Doctor as he unwraps the rope, handing the end of it to the Doctor as well as the keycard~ here you go. I’m sorry we couldn’t have talked longer.

DOCTOR:

It’s fine… I’ll see you later. ~walks up to the door hesitantly with the rope and keycard in hand, decidedly unlocking and opening the door~

ENVIRONMENT:

~inside is a room similar to the one Alia was in for her first test, with a chair in the middle and Dr. Holloway by one of the counters in the back~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~turns around when the door opens, holding a syringe in one gloved hand, seeing the Doctor and sighing~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles lightly, shaking his head~ oh, She’s just having loads of fun with this, isn’t She? Well, I suppose some of this is a hallucination, but still. ~walks into the room~ though I’ll guess that you’re Dr. Hollway, because this just doesn’t make sense.

DR HOLLOWAY:

~nods, then gives a look of inquiry as the door closes behind the Doctor. Gestures to the chair as an invitation for the Doctor to sit down~

DOCTOR:

~walks over and sits in the chair a little uneasily~ so, rumor is that I’m here to die…

DR HOLLOWAY:

~sets the syringe down on the counter, coming around to stand next to the Doctor and untie the rope the Master had attached to his collar. Looks up at him thoughtfully, after a moment giving a curt nod~

DOCTOR:

~lets Dr. Holloway remove the rope from his collar, giving up on trying conversation despite the silence that results from it~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~murmurs inarticulately, standing upright as he rolls the rope into a coil and opens his mouth slightly so the Doctor can see inside, at the empty space where his tongue should be~

DOCTOR:

~takes a moment to understand what he’s seeing but managing to comprehend it despite his hallucinations~ oh… I’m sorry…

DR HOLLOWAY:

~closes his mouth and shakes his head as if to say it’s not the Doctor’s fault, going over to set the rope down and pick up the syringe. Walks back to the Doctor, hesitating~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly, recognizing Dr. Holloway’s response, his smile fading when he comes back, assuming he’s about to be killed~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~gives the Doctor an apologetic look after a moment, coming forward with the syringe and pulling the Doctor’s sleeve up, so he can administer whatever it is that’s in the syringe~

DOCTOR:

~just lets Dr. Holloway go about his job, noticing the man’s apologetic look and shaking his head~ this isn’t your fault.

DR HOLLOWAY:

~looks disgusted with himself despite the Doctor’s reassurance, taking the empty syringe back to the counter and forcefully setting it down~

DOCTOR:

~frowns at the sound, knowing the other doctor still feels at fault as the world fades around him~


	9. Good Morning

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor transitions from dying to waking almost immediately, like riding out of a dream, his surroundings confusing him for a moment—a normal human hospital room—before Jack’s voice reaches him~

JACK:

Doctor?

DOCTOR:

W—Jack…? Where am I…? ~glances around himself at his unfamiliar surroundings, disoriented~ are Alia and the Master alright?

JACK:

What? ~gets up from the chair he was sitting in, walking over to the side of the bed on the Doctor’s right and looking down at him in concern~ the Master… um… he hasn’t been seen since Gallifrey almost crushed the Earth… and I have no idea who Alia is.

DOCTOR:

What do you mean you don’t know Alia? Did GLaDOS wipe your memory or something? ~is starting to look concerned though he’s still horribly confused~

JACK:

~sounds bewildered~ GLaDOS? ~shakes his head, looking sympathetic instead~ Doctor, you just got out of a month-long coma. You’re confused; maybe even a little delirious.

DOCTOR:

Was the syringe just an extra dose of hallucinogens? I can tell you what happened start to finish; I don’t think delirium’s that detailed. Besides, why would I ha- ~brings his hand to the side of his neck, not finding the familiar strip of leather there and beginning to panic~

JACK:

~sees the Doctor’s hearts starting to beat faster on his monitor, gesturing for calm~ shh, Doctor; whatever it is, I’m sure we can sort it out-

DOCTOR:

But it _couldn’t_ have been just a dream! ~makes himself calm down before continuing~ sure, we’re all in a horrible situation, but I have a home and a family! ~pauses before adding~ I died for them. I’m supposed to be dead.

JACK:

~sighs, dropping his hands and frowning sympathetically~ oh Doctor… ~looks at him for a moment, then looks at the door behind him~ a family… it doesn’t make sense, for you, when you think about it. You’d _never_ settle down.

DOCTOR:

I settled down because- ~thinks for a second to find a way to explain this to Jack~ alright, imagine this: you’re stuck going through torturous tasks with someone who is also infinitely healed by time. At first, you’re at each other’s throats, but after a while, you learn to work with the other person because you have to because everything you had on you is gone and all you have is basically a prisoner uniform. You learn that you can help this other person’s psychopathy because it’s induced by an actual entity. Throughout full weeks of truly horrible tests, you and this person have to depend on each other and really can’t depend on anything else. After an entire month of this, you’re both free and with the TARDIS—the vortex manipulator being your equivalent.

JACK:

~listens to the Doctor’s speech with a growing sense of confusion, having planned to respond~

WOMAN:

~a woman in a nurse’s clothes who looks exactly like Claire walks into the room near the end of it, smiling warmly and speaking once he’s finished~ thank god; he’s finally awake. And talking, too! ~even sounds like Claire as well~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen as he looks over at the nurse, seeming extremely surprised as well as confused~ Claire!?

CLAIRE:

~looks taken aback only for a moment, walking up to the Doctor’s bed beside Jack~

JACK:

~asks~ how did you-

CLAIRE:

~interrupts him, looking at the Doctor with fascination~ I _am_ one of the main nurse practitioners, maybe he took information in from the outside subconsciously while comatose…

DOCTOR:

But-… ~smiles slightly, shaking his head~ nevermind, it’s good to see you. ~stops himself from adding “alive” to the statement~

CLAIRE:

~tilts her head to the side and gives the Doctor a curious look~ it’s good to see you too, Doctor.

JACK:

~nudges her, explaining in normal tones~ um… he’s going on about having a family… and people he thinks I’m supposed to have met. ~looks at the Doctor worriedly~ will he be alright?

CLAIRE:

~smiles a little, responding~ we’ll have to see. He might need mental rehabilitation; it depends.

DOCTOR:

If what you guys are saying is true—which I’m obliged to doubt—then I know exactly what did and didn’t happen as you could with an average dream. The length of what I remember happening does fit with how long I’ve been comatose.

CLAIRE:

~turns to the Doctor~ of course. Your dreaming could have easily lasted the full span of time you were under, more or less… still, you’ll need to do _some_ tests before we let you back to the TARDIS.

DOCTOR:

WH—oh, right, medical tests… fair enough. ~his brief moment of panic is evident but he seems to calm himself down fairly easily~

CLAIRE:

~looks ready to settle the Doctor down the moment he starts panicking, relaxing herself when she sees it’s not necessary~ is there something about tests that makes you uncomfortable, Doctor?

DOCTOR:

~looks over at Claire, shaking his head~ not the kind of tests you’re going to run. It was just something from the dream, I’ll be fine.

CLAIRE:

~nods, walking around the bed to observe the equipment in the room that tracks the Doctor’s physical status~

JACK:

~goes back to sit in the chair he was in previously~

CLAIRE:

~speaks after a moment~ it should be safe to take you off of these…

KEVIN:

~the door opens, and Kevin peers inside, being immediately ordered by Claire~

CLAIRE:

Go get the Doctor a change of clothes, please.

DOCTOR:

Kevin… ~looks from Jack to Claire in confusion~ is everyone from ‘Aperture 2.1’ here? You, Kevin, Dr. Holloway, Ms. Davis, Thomas, Laura…?

CLAIRE:

~looks thoughtful~

JACK:

~just looks more concerned~

CLAIRE:

~replies after a moment~ all the people you listed are definitely regulars in your room, except for maybe Ms. Davis… but there are definitely other people working here in UNIT. ~takes out his IV, and detaches other wires from the Doctor that would’ve restricted him from sitting up and the heart rate monitor flatlines, so she goes to turn it off~

DOCTOR:

Well, that would explain all of the people I didn’t know before the dream… ~looks over at Jack, sitting up once he can~ you were there, too, of course; you helped a lot.

JACK:

~has started to look a little more relieved that the Doctor can tell reality from dream, smiling a bit~ really, now?

DOCTOR:

Yeah… It’s weird, though—it should probably be categorized as a nightmare with everything that happened, but despite going through near-literal Hell… ~looks down at the hospital bed, sighing~

CLAIRE:

Yes…? ~she asks with interest and concern~

KEVIN:

~the door opens again, and he Kevin steps in with a new change of clothes; the Doctor’s usual brown suit and blue shirt~

DOCTOR:

I had a family. The Master’s drums could be given and taken away, so we could handle his insanity between the two of us… Alia was our daughter—yes, that does actually make sense despite the obvious issue with it… now I wake up in a hospital after I thought I died and I could easily be the last Timelord again.

CLAIRE:

There’s nothing to be done about that, really… ~she responds, turning to take the clothes from Kevin~ thank you, Kevin.

JACK:

~looks thoughtful and sympathetic, countering~ not that I’m saying it’s a good idea in any way to go looking for him, but the Master’s probably still out there somewhere. It’s unlikely he was taken into the time lock when it closed; since you weren’t.

DOCTOR:

~glances briefly at Kevin before responding~ even so, he wouldn’t remember any of it… he’d sooner use it to torture me than let me get close to him.

JACK:

And that’s why I don’t recommend looking for him. ~fixes his gaze on the ground~

CLAIRE:

~hands the Doctor the set of clothes~ here you go. ~gestures to Jack for him to follow her, going to leave the room~

DOCTOR:

~waits until they’ve left to change even though he really doesn’t care if they see him, standing in his old usual clothing, feeling like his neck is oddly exposed without the collar but dismissing the feeling~

ENVIRONMENT:

~after a few minutes the door opens slightly~

MARTHA:

~peers in~ Doctor? ~sees him up and about, smiling and opening the door fully~ Doctor! I heard you were awake; it’s so good to have you back.

DOCTOR:

~smiles as genuinely as he can manage when he turns to look at Martha~ Martha! It’s great to see you again. How’ve you been?

MARTHA:

Just fine; quite busy, though. Our hands are full dealing with aliens. ~steps into the room, approaching the Doctor for a hug~ what about you?

DOCTOR:

~easily hugs Martha, frowning slightly at her question~ honestly, not terribly well. With the coma came a lengthy, detailed dream in which a lot happened… but I’ll be fine.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor’s cheek suddenly stings, as if someone slapped him, though Martha’s still hugging him at the time~

MARTHA:

Good… you’re needed back out there as soon as possible. ~steps back from the hug~

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand up to his cheek once Martha backs off~ what the hell…? ~lets his hand drop from his cheek, looking at Martha~ right. As soon as possible.

MARTHA:

~furrows her eyebrows at the Doctor in concern~ what is it?

NURSE:

~another nurse the Doctor doesn’t recognize comes into the room, followed by Claire~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head~ it’s nothing… don’t worry. ~glances over at the nurses briefly, fully expecting to be called over for the tests~

MARTHA:

~glances back at the nurses, giving the Doctor a farewell before leaving the room and letting the nurses do their job~

NURSES:

~they go through a small selection of tests to make sure the Doctor’s thinking logically, which he does fine with, before the other woman leaves and Claire gestures for the Doctor to follow~

CLAIRE:

Alright, Doctor. It looks like you’ve made the quickest and most complete recovery I’ve ever seen, and are free to go.

DOCTOR:

Alright, thank you. ~follows her easily, decidedly not asking about things from his ‘dream’, thinking about everything that happened—or didn’t happen, as the case may be~

CLAIRE:

~leads him through the area that looks like a hospital, and after a bit of a walk they arrive in an area that looks more like the main part of UNIT~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the TARDIS is driven into the room, and then brought down to the ground by a group of people~

CLAIRE:

I think you can handle yourself from here. ~waves, heading back the opposite direction~

DOCTOR:

~waves back at Claire, striding up to the TARDIS doors and opening them~ did you miss me, old girl? ~opens his mind entirely to the TARDIS as he walks in and closes the doors, bringing the ‘dream’ to the front of his mind so she knows what happened~

TARDIS:

~is in a sort of power-saving mode at first, before brightening up considerably upon the Doctor’s entry, obviously glad to see him again. Becomes confused when the Doctor informs her of the dream, however, asking why he seems so attached to it~

DOCTOR:

Because- ~stops, thinking for a moment about the question as he’s not sure why he’s so stuck on it if it was a dream~ it felt real… I can hardly fathom that it was all a dream. Dreams aren’t normally that coherent. ~looks around the console room as if it looks completely different though it’s the same as it’s always been, just empty~

TARDIS:

~takes a moment to process the information on the Doctor’s dream that he’s given her, finding what happened pretty horrible and unlikely. Asks the Doctor that if the dream actually happened, what’s happening to him now?~

DOCTOR:

If the dream actually happened, I’m on whatever was in that syringe, but Aperture’s science is advanced, so this could be a number of things… however, if the dream is reality, I need to figure out how to get back as quickly as I can. It would at least make the random feeling of being slapped make sense.

TARDIS:

~grows concerned, now presenting the counter argument that maybe the Doctor’s current situation is reality, and asking what he’d do then~

DOCTOR:

If I knew for sure that this is reality, I’d go back to life as usual. But I don’t know, and I can’t assume either for the sake of the Master and Alia… ~walks up to the console decidedly~ do you think you can find the Master? He’s inconsistently insane enough that he might be able to help if this is a dream.

TARDIS:

~hums thoughtfully, answering after a moment that there’s a good chance he’s stuck on Earth, without a TARDIS, if he did manage to escape being pulling into the time lock. Doesn’t seem to have another way of pinpointing his location, except for reminding the Doctor of his ability to sniff out another Timelord~

DOCTOR:

~sets the coordinates to where their home was in London, figuring he’ll start looking there as it’s as good as anywhere else, sending the TARDIS into flight~

TARDIS:

~personally finds the Doctor’s choice a little reckless, although she reasons that he’s done reckless things before and she doesn’t have much choice anyway; after a minute, she lands~

DOCTOR:

~walks out once the TARDIS lands, almost instantly analyzing the scent of the outdoors, closing the TARDIS doors behind him~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the particular street is completely devoid of to-let signs, and the scents present are prominently human, though there does seem to be a faint trace of Timelord—definitely not fresh, and seeming to come from down close to the ground~

DOCTOR:

~looks around himself, figuring that for there to be any Timelord scent the Master had to be here at some point, decidedly looking for anyone who seems to live here to ask if they’ve seen him~

MAN:

~is walking up the street, stopping at a house a few doors down and setting down his belongings to unlock the front door of one of the flats~

DOCTOR:

~walks up to the man, speaking in a slightly hesitant but friendly tone~ excuse me, sir?

MAN:

~stops and turns to look at the Doctor, flattening his collar down so he doesn’t have to speak around it~ yes? ~he doesn’t happen to be anyone the Doctor recognizes~

DOCTOR:

Sorry to bother you, I was wondering if you’ve seen a relatively short, bleach-blonde man around any time in the past month or so… probably acting in a relatively odd manner.

MAN:

~blinks at the Doctor for a moment, before looking off to the side in thought~ sorry, but I don’t believe I’ve seen anyone of that description. ~nods to the Doctor apologetically, pushing his door open and speaking before heading inside~ good luck finding them.

DOCTOR:

Thanks. ~continues to look for any sign as to where the Master may have gone or anything even remotely out of the ordinary~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the scent fades out when the Doctor moves down the sidewalk, though in other places it seems to reappear, making for a confusing trail. Every time, however, it’s found coming faintly from the ground~

DOCTOR:

~looks down at the ground, thoroughly irritated by the deliberately confusing scents, trying to find some pattern in the places he can smell it and starting to wonder if the Master’s gone underground~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the trails are too faint to make out even a proper pattern~

TARDIS:

~asks if they’ve made any progress one of the times the Doctor passes by her door~

DOCTOR:

~responds with a sort of map of where the faint scent seems to show up, stating that they make no sense~

TARDIS:

~suggests that the trail is too stale to be followed by now; though she does seem to agree with the Doctor’s guess on the Master being underground~

DOCTOR:

~figures the Master was definitely here and probably underground, maybe using the sewage system as it would be good cover, wondering if he should just go down and look~

TARDIS:

~expresses her readiness to do so, asking if the Doctor’s done here~

DOCTOR:

~walks into the TARDIS, thinking that there isn’t much left to do on the surface. Sets the coordinates for under where they are now and puts the TARDIS into short flight~

ENVIRONMENT:

~she lands, and after the Doctor opens the door he’s met with a half-wall: the TARDIS has landed in the middle of the tracks at a tube station, being noticed by nearby humans as the tracks start to vibrate from an oncoming train. At least the scent of Timelord is stronger~

DOCTOR:

~quickly closes the door and runs to the console to fly the TARDIS onto the actual platform, glad that he might be able to track the Master’s scent to some extent here~

TARDIS:

~just barely misses the train, landing again~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the train arrives, and people start to board. From here, the scent is still a little stale but forms a trail that’s easier to follow, heading away from the platform and further into the station~

DOCTOR:

~leaves the TARDIS and follows the stale trail as well as he can without running into people~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the trail leads him up a staircase, then through the station to a separate train line, where it stops at the edge of the platform. After a moment, a train pulls up in the station and people start to board~

DOCTOR:

~goes to get on the train, assuming the Master wasn’t walking on the train tracks and figuring he has to run back into the trail at some point if he stays on the train long enough~

ANNOUNCER:

~a robotic announcer says “mind the gap between the train and the platform,” which would have probably greatly resembled GLaDOS had it not had a British accent~

ENVIRONMENT:

~on the train, now the scent seems much more fresh, as if the Master were there currently; however, when the doors close and the train starts moving again, the scent becomes weaker~

DOCTOR:

~feels as if he should have passed the Master, also highly doubting that he’d miss the Master in this situation, ending up thoroughly confused as he glances around the train from where he stands near the doors~

ENVIRONMENT:

~no one inside the train stands out, but outside one person in a shady black hoodie starts running back through the crowd the way the Doctor had come, just before the station goes out of sight~

DOCTOR:

Shit. ~reaches into his suit pocket, hoping to find his sonic and stop the train, realizing that he could have missed shady-hooded Master if he was facing the other way~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the sonic just happens to actually be there for once; the train accelerates rather quickly~

DOCTOR:

~takes out his sonic and uses it to stop the train as quickly as he can without blowing the place up before making the doors open and stepping out to drop and sprint back along the tracks~

PEOPLE:

~everyone in the train looks considerably annoyed and a bit of shouting occurs, but the Doctor runs away from all that~

ENVIRONMENT:

~at the station, the Master is out of sight by now, but he’s left a fresh scent trail that leads back along the one the Doctor was following originally~

DOCTOR:

~jumps and climbs up onto the platform, running along the fresh trail and paying little attention to the few people he runs into or pushes aside~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the trail leads back towards the TARDIS, though the Master obviously decided not to go that way~

MASTER:

~has now made it to the escalator in the main part of the station, taking the stairs two at a time as he runs up them~

DOCTOR:

~runs after the Master, being more courteous of those on the escalator as he really doesn’t want to be the cause of any severe head-injuries~

MASTER:

~by the time the Master reaches the top of the escalator his hood as fallen down and he glances back at the Doctor briefly, then runs up to the mechanisms that block people from entering until they’ve paid, vaulting over them and starting to head towards the stairs to the surface~

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master in almost the exact same way, the difference being his occasional “sorry” to those he’s inconveniencing~

MASTER:

~makes it up to the top of the stairs, though he cringes slightly at the sunlight and turns around to stand tall and look down at the Doctor angrily~ would you PISS OFF!?

PEOPLE:

~those around him quickly get to where they’re going and avoid the Master afterward~

DOCTOR:

~the Master’s words sting, but he responds while running~ I just want to talk to you! Did you think I’d look for you if I didn’t feel like I had to?

MASTER:

~folds his arms, tilting his head and looking mockingly hurt~ hey; way to brush me off. ~rolls his eyes in exasperation at his own mockery, turning and continuing to run though he’s given the Doctor time to catch up considerably. Starts running directly toward the nearest intersection~

DOCTOR:

~just continues to sprint after the Master, yelling to him~ if you’d just stop and let me say what I have to, I’ll leave you be—it’s not like you’ve done anything horrible recently that I’m aware of.

MASTER:

~runs across the road on one of the crosswalks, luckily when it’s okay to walk, grinning back at the Doctor~ say please.

DOCTOR:

~rolls his eyes, complying~ please, Master? ~is narrowly missed by a taxi when he crosses the road~

MASTER:

~laughs hysterically, barely managing to keep on course as he runs, leading the both of them into an alleyway between buildings before he finally comes to a stop, turning to look at the Doctor~ alright, fine. What the hell do you want?

DOCTOR:

Alright. This is probably gong to be hard to explain, but I’ll be as brief as I can. I’ve been in a coma for the past month or so, according to UNIT and Jack, and during it I had a coma dream. I’m not convinced this is reality but thought that you’re unpredictable enough that you could… help me figure this out. Also, you’re the only person who I don’t think will throw me in Bedlam for this.

MASTER:

~bursts out laughing, unable to stop for a good while, sinking to his knees when it becomes difficult to stand and holding his side like it hurts~ so… you want… _me…_ to help you determine reality? ~continues laughing uncontrollably~

DOCTOR:

I don’t know anyone else who might not just tell me that it’s this one. ~calmly talks to the Master as if not noticing the other Timelord’s hysteria~ also, if you want the drumming to stop, I can take them.

MASTER:

~stops laughing, looking up at the Doctor intently~ and there you are again; with the “I can help you” shtick. ~comes to his feet, glaring at the Doctor~ well I don’t _want_ your help! Ever think of _that?_ ~turns to walk down the alleyway with his hands in his pocket, kicking at a stone~

DOCTOR:

I was just asking if you wanted it… at least I know _how_ this time, I’ve done it for you before—granted, it was in the dream, but it made sense. ~doesn’t pursue the Master, talking to him from where he stands~

MASTER:

~looks back at the Doctor, slowing to a stop but not turning all the way around~ _I_ was in your dream?

DOCTOR:

~gets slightly uncomfortable, responding anyway~ yes… more frequently than not. Actually, you were there nearly the whole time.

MASTER:

~seems to become more interested in the dream now, turning to face the Doctor with a smirk~ was it a good or bad dream?

DOCTOR:

~smiles faintly enough that it could be missed~ well most of it was actually pretty horrible, but that wasn’t because of you. It _was_ over a month long.

MASTER:

~looks thoughtful, then steps towards the Doctor again with an irritable shake of the head~ okay, fine. I bet if you can take them, it’ll give some proof to your “dream” being real.

DOCTOR:

~smiles happily but briefly, not wanting to make the Master change his mind~ you’ll let me, then?

MASTER:

Yes, you twat; now get on with it. ~frowns at the Doctor’s cheerfulness~

DOCTOR:

~steps forward slightly and brings his forehead to touch the Master’s, telepathically attempting to pull the drums into his own head as he has several times before~

MENTAL:

~the sound easily transfers over as it did in the Doctor’s so-called dream~

MASTER:

~jumps back, looking around in wild panic~ they’re… they’re not… ~steps forward and desperately grabs the Doctor’s suit jacket~ no—give them back!

DOCTOR:

Alright, alright… I saw that coming, that was your first reaction before. ~touches foreheads with the Master again, giving the drums back easily~ you’re lucky it wasn’t _Her_ this time.

MASTER:

~calms himself down, catching his breath~ …her…? ~takes a few wary steps back, keeping his distance from the Doctor distrustingly~

DOCTOR:

Oh. Basically speaking, an AI that I’m near convinced is reality’s Satan and had—has—us stuck in a scientific testing facility. Drove me to kill… two innocent people by now?

MASTER:

~the Doctor is confusing him, which also makes him a little scared, taking a few more steps backward and glancing behind himself at the end of the alleyway~ you can’t be serious… ~sounds exasperated to the best of his ability~

DOCTOR:

Yeah, but I had reason, it’s not like I went on some mad killing spree. A whole lot has happened, though, so it’s all a bit hard to explain. ~finds the fact that the _Master_ is scared of _him_ horribly ironic~

MASTER:

~shakes his head~ no, not that you killed people; that you _actually_ think that dream was real. ~gestures to himself~ even _I’ve_ got enough sense to know it’s ridiculous.

DOCTOR:

If it was all just a dream, I’d be forgetting it. People forget dreams, I remember nearly every second up until I thought I was dying, but She could have easily been bluffing. Anything could have been in the syringe.

MASTER:

Alright, fine, believe what you want. I did what you asked. ~hesitantly turns and starts walking down the alleyway to the street on the opposite side~

ENVIRONMENT:

~police sirens come from behind the Doctor~

MASTER:

~glances back to swear under his breath~

DOCTOR:

Alright… but if this is a dream, those cops aren’t after you… or me. They’re after that guy across the street who… robbed a couple shops nearby for money, which is what’s in his bag. ~looks across the street at the random man with a bag hung on his shoulder with interest, wondering if his own little experiment will work~

MASTER:

~curiously walks up behind the Doctor to watch~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the two checkered cop cars reroute and intercept the man as he goes to cross the street, police getting out and going to confront him and inspect his bag~

MASTER:

How the hell-…

DOCTOR:

~grins, watching the display that suggests he was right~ I made that up entirely, Master… I’ve never seen that man before. ~looks over at the Master~ we’re in my dream _now._

MASTER:

Wait, the one you were talking about earlier? ~looks confused but noticeably interested in what just happened~

DOCTOR:

No, this is a dream and that was reality. My death must have been another bluff and I’m in a coma or something like it right now.

MASTER:

So… ~backs up from the Doctor~ it’s a lucid dream now. And you can control it? ~gives the Doctor a wary look~ and I’m just part of it all, then?

DOCTOR:

~turns to face the Master, not liking how his statement makes the other Timelord seem insignificant~ well, technically, I guess… But you did help me figure it out, and I wouldn’t change _you_ anyway. I do need to figure out how to wake up now, though.

MASTER:

Well, I can’t help you there. ~turns away, pausing for a moment before decidedly stalking off down the alleyway, not intending to turn back this time~

DOCTOR:

~waves to the Master~ I’ll see you after I wake up. ~starts walking back to the TARDIS, thinking he _could_ commit suicide to wake up, but that would be a big risk~

MASTER:

~glances back at the Doctor before turning out of sight without another word~

DOCTOR:

~decidedly tries changing small things as he walks to the TARDIS like the color of a car and signs to be sure he’s in a dream~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the changes occur on whim, although people walking by notice and confusion ensues, on the sidewalk as well as in the road with various cars that stop~

DOCTOR:

~thinks aloud~ well, I _could_ play God, but I need to get back. ~gets back to the TARDIS, opening the doors and walking in, opening his memory to her, wondering if GLaDOS could take control of the dream~

TARDIS:

~goes along with the proof that this is all the Doctor’s dream rather easily, seeming excited even and suggesting that he could just tell himself to wake up, since he’s lucid dreaming, but thinking suicide would be a last resort method~

DOCTOR:

I don’t think anyone’s willed themselves awake before, especially from a full-on coma… I’d be awake now if I could wake up by wanting to wake up.

TARDIS:

~asks if the Doctor’s got any better idea before resorting to suicide, although there’s very little chance he would be hurt by that now that he’s pretty much proven he’s dreaming~

DOCTOR:

It’s the only way I know wakes people up, I’m not an expert on dreams… some people say there’s a guide in every dream that can show you the way out of your dreams, while others say that there’s a doorway that is only clear because there’s a fault in it because this is a dream, but none of those theories are proven.

TARDIS:

~seems concerned for the Doctor, as it’s not _completely_ certain he’s dreaming—he might just be extremely doped up or delirious—though she encourages him to do what he thinks is best~

DOCTOR:

If this is delirium… ~thinks for a moment, not wanting to really die~ whatever I use doesn’t actually exist anyway if I make it exist through the idea that this is a dream, right?

TARDIS:

~thinks it over for a moment, confirming the Doctor’s statement with the hope that it’s true~

DOCTOR:

~looks down and to the side where a gallon of gasoline and a box of matches appear~ I’ll die like the rest of them, then. ~drenches himself in gasoline, going to take and light a match~ I’ll see you in reality.

 


	10. Good Morning; Take 2

 

 

TARDIS:

~doesn’t particularly enjoy watching as the Doctor goes up in flames~

ENVIRONMENT:

~luckily, it does result in him waking up—in a hospital room with Jack, just like when he woke up after the injection~

JACK:

Doctor?

DOCTOR:

~looks around at the room, realizing what happened, his eyes widening~ no… no, no, no… ~brings a hand to his face in frustration~ damn it. And hi, Jack, let me guess: I’ve been in a coma for a month and in a moment or two, Claire’s going to come in that door.

JACK:

What? ~stands and looks at the door, though it doesn’t open just yet~ I mean, yes you have, but—what?

DOCTOR:

It’s a dream—my dream, actually. Flowers. ~looks at a plain curtain, giving it a flower pattern~ and I have to get out somehow, and apparently not by killing myself.

JACK:

~looks at the curtains in shock~ I—uh—wh- ~stammers, taking a moment to collect himself~ why do you need to get out?

DOCTOR:

~finds Jack’s question odd~ because I’d much rather be conscious and with my family. Family? Yes, the Master and I had a child and we’re all in a horrible situation that I need to get back to.

MENTAL:

~something gives him a brief telepathic jolt, though exactly what isn’t clear~

JACK:

~backs up towards the door~ alright… I’ll… I’m going to get someone. ~reaches the door, opening it and quickly heading out into the hallway~

DOCTOR:

~mutters in response to the telepathy~ I’m trying to wake up, but that isn’t helping. ~stays in the bed for a second due to the various tubes before removing them with his mind as he remembers he can do so, simultaneously turning the monitors off~

CLAIRE:

~speed-walks into the room, looking concerned~ is everything alri- ~stops when she sees the Doctor is completely disconnected and awake~

DOCTOR:

Yes, I’m perfectly fine. ~smiles over at Claire~ hello, Claire, and welcome back to what is literally my dream.

CLAIRE:

~looks back at the Doctor, in confusion at first, though after a moment her expression changes to one of realization and anger~ you… ~backs up to the doorway, giving the Doctor the look of someone who knows they’ve been betrayed~

DOCTOR:

~takes a moment to realize what’s going on, his smile vanishing as he gives Claire a sad, desperate look~ I had to get back to my family…

CLAIRE:

~continues to glare at the Doctor~ awfully selfish of you. None of _us_ get to go back to our families. ~puts one hand on the doorframe, ready to run off into the hallway like Jack~

DOCTOR:

She would have done it to you anyways! For science! ~responds more weakly than he’d like, getting up out of the bed and just using the fact that it’s a dream to get changed in his old suit again, bringing the collar back as well~

CLAIRE:

~her expression softens, looking sad~ are you sure about that? ~turns and flees when the Doctor gets out of the bed, running down the hallway the opposite direction from where Jack went~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head, muttering to himself~ no, I’m not. ~goes to leave and head to the TARDIS, liking last time better though he knows this is all in his head~

TARDIS:

~greets him when he arrives, commenting on the Doctor’s collar with a mixture of surprise and amusement~

DOCTOR:

~simply opens all of his memories to her so she can figure out what’s going on and why he’s decided to wear a collar, walking up to the console~

TARDIS:

~easily absorbs the information, acting like she’s done this all before and asking what the Doctor plans to do now~

MENTAL:

~another mental jolt tries to wake him~

DOCTOR:

We wake me up before the Master’s attempts to wake me up drive me insane by getting the Master here to be the same as the real one and see if he can help me out. If he can’t, we keep trying people until we get it. ~sets the coordinates for the platform in the same station as before, putting the TARDIS into flight, figuring that he’ll be early this time~

TARDIS:

~seems fascinated by the Doctor’s ability and confidence in altering the environment, landing in the specified location~

DOCTOR:

~walks out of the TARDIS and immediately looks and sniffs for signs of the Master~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the stale trail is still there, if slightly fresher, heading towards the second platform on the other side of the station~

DOCTOR:

~follows the trail, figuring he can’t miss the Master this time and keeping a sharp eye out for the other Timelord’s hooded figure~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when the Doctor reaches the second platform, a train has arrived, though none of the people who exit are the Master and the lack of fresh scent proves he wasn’t on this one. On a sign attached to the ceiling, it says the next train is due in 12 minutes~

DOCTOR:

So he’s probably on the next one… ~goes to wait near where people board and exit the trains~

~•~

[00:11:56]

ENVIRONMENT:

~a second train pulls up in the station and the passengers start filing out, mostly avoiding the Doctor~

MASTER:

~brushes past the Doctor’s arm while trying to lay low in the crowd. Notices the Doctor almost immediately, and goes to run off just like he did the previous time~

DOCTOR:

Oh here we go again! ~takes off after the Master, yelling to him~ I really just need to talk to you! Please don’t make this difficult, Master! ~catches up to him rather easily, since he’s gotten a considerably larger head-start~

MASTER:

~keeps running even though the Doctor’s practically on his heels~ when have I ever been easy on you? ~calls over his shoulder~

DOCTOR:

~gives a sly grin, not yelling anymore but speaking just loud enough to be heard~ when you wanted me to take over.

MASTER:

~stumbles with the unexpectedness of the Doctor’s response, ending up tripping the Doctor up as well as himself and they fall awkwardly on top of each other, hesitating to move as he takes a moment to fully re-realize the situation~

DOCTOR:

~laughs in happy amusement despite the fall, taking a second to recollect himself and carefully starting to try to get up~

MASTER:

~when he recovers he abruptly turns over, kicking out to hit the Doctor in the stomach with both feet and shove him backwards, then scrambling back into a sitting position~ what the hell are you talking about? I would never…

DOCTOR:

~falls back, his hand moving to his stomach in pain though he still chuckles a little before answering~ oh, but you did. You don’t remember yet because this is a dream constructed to make it seem like reality’s a dream.

MASTER:

~not liking the way the Doctor speaks as if he’s all-knowing—and maybe a little off his nut—repeats his words warily~ I don’t remember… yet? ~gets into a position that he can easily stand up from, and keep running if necessary~

DOCTOR:

Yeah; I was hoping, since this is my dream, that I could get you to remember… although, even if I _was_ bluffing, it certainly did get you to stop! ~sits up, smiling over at the Master~ though it’s funny that _you_ have been the most consistent thing so far.

MASTER:

~hesitates for a moment, then settles back into a sitting position~

PEOPLE:

~those walking by casually avoid them and take no notice~

MASTER:

Why are you acting so ever-living cheerful?

DOCTOR:

~his smile fades a bit~ because if I don’t find something to be happy about, I will be constantly worried and I have the horrible feeling that I’m going to be in this coma for a while. I’d rather be cheerful than desperate.

MASTER:

~shrugs~ I don’t know, I think I’d like you better desperate. ~pouts at the Doctor~ besides. I though you said you wouldn’t change me.

DOCTOR:

It’s not that I want you to change, it’s that I wish you’d remember. You can’t blame me for that, can you? In the long run, I really need help and I thought it would make sense to ask you as you are the one trying to wake me up.

MASTER:

~crawls closer to the Doctor, settling down again in front of him~ you’re always crawling back to me, aren’t you? ~smiles cheerfully at the Doctor, reaching forward to pinch his cheeks affectionately~ just the way I like it. Do you actually think I’d be careless enough to trip you up if I didn’t _want_ you on top of me? Come on, Doctor.

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the Master’s response, remembering the fact that he put the collar on this time but dismissing the fact~ in all fairness, you _did_ kick me off of you.

MASTER:

~smirks, shrugging slightly~ I saw the opportunity. ~moves forward and turns himself around so that he’s leaning back on the Doctor, grabbing the other Timelord’s hands and bringing them around himself~ so. Are my attempts to wake you up ineffective?

DOCTOR:

All they’ve done so far is take me off guard a couple of times. I didn’t expect to feel like I was slapped while just standing in the hospital for obvious reasons and the telepathic attempts- ~stops mid-sentence, getting an idea~ do you think I could communicate with you telepathically since it works the other way? ~already mentally looking for the link~

MASTER:

Perhaps. ~glances up at the Doctor~

MENTAL:

~after a moment, the Doctor finds the telepathic link~

MASTER:

~the Master—assumedly from the waking world—eagerly helps the Doctor to stabilize their connection with great relief~

ENVIRONMENT:

~this results in the Doctor’s dreamworld fading away to darkness for the moment~

DOCTOR:

~mentally asks how they’re holding up in the waking world, more than glad that he found a way to at least communicate~ although… since I’m already in my head, can you hear me If I just speak aloud?

MASTER:

~mentally affirms the Doctor’s question, telling him that they’re doing great; although the Doctor’s been asleep for much longer than he probably thinks, and it would be really, really great if they could manage to wake him up~

DOCTOR:

Well, I’ve tried dying in the dream, that didn’t work, and I’ve felt at least some of your attempts from here. ~tries to just get himself to wake up, figuring it might be easier now that he has a connection to the waking world~

MASTER:

~tries to help bring the Doctor back to the waking world, though he is careful not to get in the Doctor’s way~

ENVIRONMENT:

~through their efforts the Doctor manages to open his eyes for a moment, only getting the idea that the Master’s there and they don’t look like they’re in Aperture before he’s pulled back down into the full dream state, sitting on the floor of the tube station with the other Master~

DOCTOR:

How long have I been asleep? ~asks in a panicked tone, wrapping his arms further around the Master~

MASTER:

~looks thoughtful, replying aloud as if waking-Master was replying mentally~ nearly three months… while, you’ve probably only felt like you’ve been here for less than three hours.

DOCTOR:

Goddamnit… how else do people wake up…? By being scared, right? It’d be hard to scare myself on purpose, though…

MASTER:

Well, what scares you, Doctor? ~leans back into the Doctor contentedly~

ENVIRONMENT:

~seems devoid of people now although the change isn’t that noticeable~

DOCTOR:

I would think you knew that better than anyone. Still, if I were to call something my worst fear… I’d say it’s being alone. For everyone close to me to die or leave… Sounds far too familiar. ~is already holding the Master almost desperately, as if begging the other Timelord not to do what he thinks he’s going to~

MASTER:

~hums thoughtfully, going quiet for a while and letting the silence grow uncomfortable before speaking again~ you can bring anything into existence, right?

DOCTOR:

~nods slowly, hesitating to answer~ here, yes.

MASTER:

~smiles slightly~ how about we go back to Gallifrey, then. We can bring Alia, travel in the TARDIS… show her her home planet, in person. ~looks over at the Doctor~ you can make it happen; yeah?

DOCTOR:

Yes… but, unless you’re both here telepathically, that’s not going to count for anything in reality and I need to get back to the real you and Alia.

MASTER:

Come on, just trust me. ~twists his body to face the Doctor, bringing one arm across his shoulders and the other up to gently brush against the Doctor’s cheek~ you _do_ trust me… right?

DOCTOR:

Yes, but… ~decidedly brings Alia into existence next to them—he’s not waking up easily, why not trust the Master for the time being?~ every minute’s roughly 12 hours for them, so you’d better have a plan.

ALIA:

~cheerfully goes to worm her way between the two of them, looking between the Doctor and the Master in turn once she’s successfully infiltrated their embrace~ Daddy! Father!

MASTER:

~smiles, moving back a bit to give her room~ hey there, Alia. Daddy’s going to take us on a trip soon. ~looks over at the Doctor~

ALIA:

~giggles excitedly~ where’re we going, Daddy?

DOCTOR:

~thinks for a second, shaking his head and looking at Alia with a smile~ home, Alia… to Gallifrey. ~mentally tries to find the link again, not convinced that this isn’t a way to keep him in a coma, standing up~ come on, let’s go to the TARDIS.

MASTER:

~wraps his arms around Alia, standing up as well and going to follow the Doctor~

MENTAL:

~the telepathic link seems inactive for now~

MASTER:

~leans forward and speaks to the Doctor reassuringly~ why would I want to keep you here? I’m literally part of your own mind.

ALIA:

~acts as though all is right with the world, blabbering about things they pass in wonder~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the Master’s reassurance, relaxing a bit~ you’re right… as usual. ~opens the doors to the TARDIS easily when they get to them~

MASTER:

~sets Alia down, closing the door behind them and smiling with satisfaction~ exactly.

ALIA:

~runs up to the console, pointing out the functions of certain controls she’s been told about and looking at the Doctor expectantly~

DOCTOR:

~happily sets coordinates for Gallifrey and puts the TARDIS into flight, flying her as flamboyantly as ever, taking his family home~

ALIA:

~follows the Doctor, calling up to him over the sound of flight~ Daddy? Does this mean Gallifrey is okay? The Timelords too?

MASTER:

~walks up, smiling and nodding encouragingly to both the Doctor and Alia~

DOCTOR:

… yes, Alia. Every Timelord from Rassilon to yourself! All 2.47 billion children… ~sounds more like he’s rambling to himself as he continues~ every father and mother and merchant and settler and- ~is cut off by the TARDIS landing~

MASTER:

~opens the door wide when the TARDIS lands, gesturing outside~

ALIA:

~runs past him and out into the tall red grass, looking around in awe at the scene that’s basically a real-life representation of the drawing the Doctor had made to show her his home~ woah…!

DOCTOR:

~runs as if after Alia, looking around in near-equal awe and smiling in ecstasy, running about like a child~ come on, let’s see if anyone’s home! ~starts toward his old home~

MASTER:

~has to run to catch up with them both, though he’s smiling as well~

ALIA:

~follows behind the Doctor up to the house~ your house is here!

DOCTOR:

Of course it is! Where else would it be? ~opens the door wide, knowing it’ll be relatively disappointing to Alia but wanting to see it himself~

ALIA:

~giggles at the Doctor’s response, peering inside at the Doctor’s old home with mild confusion~

WOMAN:

~an older woman is milling about, and turns around when the door opens and smiles at the Doctor after a brief moment of surprise~

DOCTOR:

~turns to the woman, grinning with tears in his eyes~ hey, mom… ~glances briefly over at Alia to gesture to her~ this is your granddaughter Alia, and—well, you know the Master.

WOMAN:

Oh, Theta… welcome home. ~she goes over to him and hugs him~

MASTER:

~finishes climbing the hill and comes up behind the Doctor, panting lightly~

DOCTOR:

~hugs her back happily~ it’s been far too long… I should have visited sooner. ~looks back at the raised platform where he used to sleep after the hug almost longingly~ you haven’t changed a thing… I love it.

WOMAN:

~doesn’t get to respond to the Doctor~

ENVIRONMENT:

~sudden pandemonium ensues outside with shouts of “EXTERMINATE” followed by waves of Dalek gunshots and screaming; instead of the open field, they’re suddenly in the city in the midst of the Time War~

DOCTOR:

No… ~runs to the front doors, reaching for his old gun in the hopes that he can make it be slung on his back, his voice breaking as he speaks~ stay inside, guys, alright? Unless they get to you—then run.

MASTER:

Okay—be careful. ~responds, ushering Alia inside quickly~

ENVIRONMENT:

~every time the Doctor looks a different direction the carnage seems to multiply, and then the houses and buildings start to catch fire along with the Daleks and other Timelords. Thoguh it seems the Doctor is incapable of getting hurt like the rest of them in this situation~

DOCTOR:

~gets his old bulky gun and shoots Daleks out of the sky with tears streaming down his face as he practically watches his dream crumble into a personal hell around him~

ENVIRONMENT:

~gradually, there’s less and less movement around him, until he’s surrounded by crumbling buildings and the corpses of both Timelords and Daleks with no other living creatures in sight. Back by the house, both the Master and Alia are lying dead on the ground~

DOCTOR:

~looks around for someone— _anyone—_ to be left, not caring who as he can plainly see that his entire family’s dead, actively looking for the TARDIS when he can’t see anyone else, the only thing that’s audible being the remaining fires and his own occasional sobbing~

TARDIS:

~he finds the TARDIS near the outskirts of what’s left of the city, though she’s been burned on the inside as well as the outside, and her consciousness is completely dead~

DOCTOR:

No… ~falls to his knees to just sit on the ground, waking up crying as if he had forgotten it was all a dream~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor is lying in a comfortable bed, though the lights in the room are dim, and it takes him a second to realize the only thing he’s wearing is his collar~

GIRL:

~a young, but sophisticated female voice reaches his ears~ are you awake? Or are you just sniffling in your sleep?

DOCTOR:

What? ~looks up, wiping tears from his face~ don’t tell me it’s restarted again…. Who is it? ~mentally tries to change things in the room like he could in his dream~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a young girl of about 10 or 11 with medium-length red hair, green eyes, and sharp features is sitting in a chair at the wall by the foot of the Doctor’s bed—which certainly isn’t a hospital bed—polishing what looks like a pistol~

GIRL:

Alia Sigma. And no, you’re not dreaming, Dad.

DOCTOR:

~smiles happily, though his voice is a little shaky when he speaks~ Alia! Oh god, how long has it been? How are you and your Father? And… why are you polishing a _gun?_

ALIA:

Because there’s been nothing better to do. ~blows something off of the barrel of the gun before standing up and putting the pistol in a holster at her hip, then folding her arms as she looks at the Doctor~ and it’s been 351 days, you inconsiderate bastard.

DOCTOR:

~looks over at Alia in hurt surprise~ H-hey, what did I do? I woke up as quickly as I could…

ALIA:

~shrugs indifferently~ we had to drag you with us, while escaping probably would have been a lot easier if you were awake. ~starts walking towards her right, where the door is~ I’m going to get Father; he’ll be glad to know you’re awake.

DOCTOR:

It’s not like I had any control over that… ~looks sadly at the bed’s blankets~ I did think you might be glad I’m conscious too…

ALIA:

~glances back at the Doctor~ I am; you’re my Dad. It’s just that I’ve only spent a few weeks of my life actually interacting with you. ~opens the door, walking out into the hallway and closing the door again~

DOCTOR:

~just waits in the room, wondering where the heck they put his clothes but not really minding that much as he watches the door~

MASTER:

~the door bursts open after a few minutes, and the Master stands there in the doorway for a moment with his black suit jacket a little jostled, looking almost exactly like he did as prime minister. Realizes the Doctor is really awake, running up to the bed and climbing up to wrap his arms around the Doctor tightly~ goddamnit, Doctor; I was just beginning to think this was a lost cause.

DOCTOR:

~hugs the Master back~ every hour for me was roughly a month for you… it was you who got me out in the end through our last resort—well, it was you in the dream, so not literally you, but… I’m just glad you’re all alive!

MASTER:

~makes a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob, holding the Doctor tighter~

MENTAL:

~parts of the Doctor’s dream slip away from memory, though the last part doesn’t seem ready to be forgotten any time soon~

MASTER:

Yeah… well… ~hesitantly backs off from the hug, setting the Doctor down and meeting his gaze~ Jack and the TARDIS got left behind, but still…

DOCTOR:

~looks suddenly worried~ you mean they’ve been stuck in Aperture for over a year? ~shakes his head~ nevermind that for now, it’s been half of a day for me and over a year for you, what’s happened?

MASTER:

~grins as if he had been waiting for the Doctor to ask that question all along~ oh, I’m very busy these days… lots of responsibility. ~smiles sweetly, running a finger along the Doctor’s jaw~ though not too busy for you, my dear.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at the Master~ well; while that’s all very nice and poetic and I do appreciate the gesture—and of course I’m willing to help out with things—I really did want to know what’s actually going on.

MASTER:

Oh, there’ll be no need. ~makes a gesture as if waving the Doctor’s offer to help away, turning himself to sit on the edge of the bed and looking off into the distance as he explains~ you see, I was getting bored; and I figured—“if it worked last time, and last time everything got erased—then it should work again just as well.” Though, this time I made sure Martha wasn’t an issue.

DOCTOR:

So you mean to tell me you took over the world… again. ~chuckles slightly to himself~ I find that I’m only mad if there’s a Lucy involved. And, of course, if you’ve built an armada to destroy the universe again. Actually, I might have a problem with this, what did you do to Martha?

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor, tapping his cheek thoughtfully~ I sent the Toclafane after her. Her family too, I think. Oh and no—no Lucy; I made that mistake once already and I’d rather not be shot again if it comes to that.

DOCTOR:

Alright, but how did you manage Toclafane without a TARDIS? ~is getting more concerned by the minute—nothing he can do about the Joneses now, but how many people died in the Master’s wake while the Doctor couldn’t stop him?~

MASTER:

Oh, we have Tav. You know, the other TARDIS. We couldn’t have just trekked across the Atlantic Ocean. ~brings a hand to the Doctor’s cheek, giving him an almost mockingly pleading took~ _you_ won’t shoot me—will you?

DOCTOR:

Of course not! ~sounds offended at the notion~ though I had no way of knowing where we are—I didn’t assume you trekked across any ocean.

MASTER:

Oh, alright. ~pinches the Doctor’s cheek briefly, as an affectionate gesture~ I’m not holding anything against you. Oh and by the way; no armada to _destroy_ the universe. ~smiles proudly~ just to overthrow it.

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master, not knowing what to think as he feels morally compelled to stop the Master but really wants to spend the time with his family, speaking in decision~ 24 hours… show me why I shouldn’t want to stop you. Convince me in under 24 hours, and I’ll wholeheartedly back you up in all of this.

MASTER:

~laughs~ impatient, impatient! I certainly can’t get _everything_ done in less than 24 hours. ~takes another look at the Doctor’s expression, leaning in close~ you _must_ know what my plan has been all along; I _have_ to have told you before. ~furrows his eyebrows in concentration~ no?

DOCTOR:

~looks more confused than anything at the moment, not knowing what to expect by now~ unless it was said in the last few minutes, I can’t say I know what you’re talking about.

MASTER:

~sits up again, looking down at the Doctor with an almost sympathetic look~ the Timelord race—a _new_ empire, I can make it, right here. For Alia; for the both of us. You stopped me from doing that last time.

DOCTOR:

~remembers the end of his dream, shaking his head almost in panic~ I stopped you because you would have brought the Timelords and the Time War right along with them.

MASTER:

~shakes his head back at the Doctor~ no, no. I’m having nothing to do with the Timelords of Gallifrey—except for you, of course. ~smiles and boops the Doctor’s nose before adopting a more serious expression~ a _new_ empire. Not the old one.

DOCTOR:

~relaxes a bit, reassured by the Master’s statement~ alright… I’ll see how this goes; if not just because trusting you is what got me out of that coma.

MASTER:

~grins triumphantly, ruffling the Doctor’s hair though it doesn’t make much difference as it already looks pretty ridiculous~ good. ~looks around himself as if suddenly remembering something~ oh! I have a present for you. But first- ~meets the Doctor’s gaze~ does this mean you’re convinced?

DOCTOR:

~looks wary for a second before nodding~ alright, why not? ~smiles a little~ sure, yeah, I’m convinced.

MASTER:

~smiles back, patting the Doctor’s cheek before standing up~ You just hold tight; I’ll be right back. ~leaves the room, returning a few minutes later and walking back to the edge of the bed, producing a new, mahogany-colored and more fancy-looking collar and laying it on the Doctor’s lap~ I thought you deserved something better than what you already have. ~cheerfully points out the metal plate on the front, which has the Doctor’s name and the address of their home on it~

DOCTOR:

~laughs lightly at the mocking, belittling gesture that somehow still makes him happy, reaching up to unlatch the collar he has on, taking an irritated but determined 5-10 minutes to figure it out~ thank you, Master.

MASTER:

~helps the Doctor when he sees the other Timelord’s struggle, not feeling like waiting ten minutes for him to get it himself~ any time, Doctor. ~also assists in getting the other collar on, latching it and fondly caressing the Doctor’s cheek afterwards~

DOCTOR:

~nuzzles the Master’s hand slightly, smiling and looking at the Master~ so, what now?

MASTER:

Well, I’ve got lots and lots of planning to do, but I can put that off for a tick. Would you like to see what I’ve done with the place? ~smiles expectantly, obviously meaning the Earth and not wherever they are currently~

DOCTOR:

Yeah! ~gets up, realizing that he’s still not wearing much of anything but figuring that that’s purposeful by now~

MASTER:

~stands up, heading towards the door but glancing back at the Doctor with a smirk~ there’s a robe in that drawer over there if you want to wear something. ~gestures towards a top drawer in a dresser next to the bed~

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~goes to the dresser, wishing he didn’t actually care as he opens the drawer and throws the robe on while going to follow the Master~

MASTER:

I managed to get the Valiant back, too- ~smiles and rolls his eyes slightly as he walks out into the hallway~ I know, maybe I’m being nostalgic about this. But I’m playing it safe, after all… It’s sort of like a test. Figure out what went wrong, and only remove those aspects while keeping everything else as identical as possible… ~stops when he realizes he’s rambling, continuing to walk down the hallway~

DOCTOR:

Well, I can understand nostalgia… I understand testing, too, it’s just still a cringe-worthy phrase from my perspective. ~thinks back to Jack and the TARDIS, figuring he can try to free them once he sizes up the situation he’s in~

MASTER:

~giggles madly, putting a small bounce into his step until he reaches the elevator at the end of the hallway, spinning around flamboyantly into it. Holds the door open for the Doctor, giving him a somewhat pleading look~ can I count on you keeping your word?

DOCTOR:

~responds in an almost offended tone as he goes through the door~ I kept my word for GLaDOS; why would I cross _you?_

MASTER:

~suddenly grabs hold of the front of the Doctor’s robe, roughly pinning him back against the wall and drawing a handgun, which he shoves under the Doctor’s jaw as he clicks the safety off, grinning~ anything could happen, Doctor.

DOCTOR:

~swallows, meeting the Master’s gaze evenly~ yes, it could. And you are the least predictable person I know, but I do have a certain level of confidence in the idea that you don’t want me dead even though I’m the biggest potential threat to your ‘master plan’.

MASTER:

~laughs, stopping to press the barrel of the gun further into the Doctor’s neck, though he looks almost in awe~ priceless! You think I actually _care_ if you die? It brings no inconvenience to _me;_ I can still use genetic samples from a dead body, can’t I!? ~grins with wild glee and enthusiasm, as the doors slide closed~

DOCTOR:

~looks absolutely horrified for a second before managing to speak in a strained and slightly panicked tone~ but if you waited all that time for me to wake up, why didn’t you just kill me then? I already _told_ you I won’t go against you, and what do I owe the human race? _Nothing._ Jack and the TARDIS are the only ones down there I’m concerned for. ~a sense of pure despair is evident over the link~

MASTER:

It’s less fun if you’re dead! ~laughs again~ though don’t think that means I wouldn’t be up for a little game of Russian roulette right about now. ~gently brings the gun back, reaching over to the panel of buttons to make the elevator ascend. At this point it becomes evident that the Master’s end of the link is practically completely cut off, so the telepathy can only go one way~

DOCTOR:

~leans uncomfortably on the wall of the elevator, trying to define what he is to the Master right now—not quite a lover, not quite a pet… a toy, maybe? No, he doesn’t care believe he means that little…~

MASTER:

~leans back on the wall with a good distance between him and the Doctor, looking over at him slyly~ I appreciate the thought, but I’d _much_ rather hear it in that pretty little voice of yours. ~tilts his head and closes one eye as he aims the pistol at the Doctor casually, pulling the trigger and looking almost disappointed at the empty click~

DOCTOR:

~knows better than to just take a note for next time, trying to ignore the gun~ what am I to you? That’s something I’ve never found easy to define but now—it seems I’m less than a lover, not quite your pet, and I don’t dare believe I mean so little to you that I’m your toy… You act as if nothing has changed between us, but moments later you point a gun at me and say you don’t care…

MASTER:

Hm… that is a good question. Let me think. ~puts the gun away, looking thoughtful and speaking after a moment~ I suppose… if I had to find a word for it… you’re my prize.

DOCTOR:

~thinks for a second before speaking~ I suppose that’s fair enough… I mean, morally speaking it sounds bad, but if I only listened to my morals I would be trying to stop you.

MASTER:

~chuckles as the doors open to the main deck of the Valiant, and he steps out of the elevator eagerly~ great; now that that’s cleared up—

TOCLAFANE:

~materializes in front of him~ *Master, is it time? We’re all _so_ excited!*

MASTER:

~he gives it an apologetic look~ not yet. A good plan requires patience; I need to make sure there are absolutely _no_ flaws in it before we move on to the next stage.

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master out, trying not to remember what the Toclafane really is, his mind gradually becoming less readable as if in subconscious rebellion~

TOCLAFANE:

*Yes, Master…* ~hesitantly disappears again~

MASTER:

~flashes an almost vicious smile back at the Doctor—knowing what he’s doing—before striding up the stairs and to the window at the far wall. Looks down at the Earth below with pride~ I’ve gotten more than half of them killed off already. I’m being much more efficient this time.

DOCTOR:

~grimaces, giving the corner that used to hold his tent and food bowl a passing glance and trying not to be visibly disgusted as he looks out the window~ they can’t keep themselves alive when I’m gone for just one year… which reminds me; have you run into the Daleks?

MASTER:

No. I’ve been generally unopposed, like last time. ~looks worried for a brief moment~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s what looks like a city below them, though it’s in the process of being torn down and there are more toclafane visible than there are humans~

DOCTOR:

Good. That’s one less thing I failed to take care of… in reality, that is. ~looks over at the Master, noticing his brief worry~ everything alright?

MASTER:

~steps back from the window, glancing at the floor with the same worried expression before meeting the Doctor’s gaze~ stay here… I’ve got something to attend to. ~turns, walking back to the elevator~

DOCTOR:

Alright… ~turns and watches the Master go, looking concerned but not moving as he’s not in a position to disobey at the moment~ I’ll see you when you get back, I guess.

MASTER:

~coughs, getting into the elevator and the doors close behind him, not acknowledging the Doctor or confirming his statement~

DOCTOR:

~just stands there for a moment, wondering what—other than the drums—is still a problem. Afterwards, he looks over what he had always assumed were some sort of controls, trying to work out how the Valiant works~

ALIA:

~after a few minutes, a door on the right opens and Alia crosses the room, looking thoroughly upset until she notices that the Doctor’s in the room and pauses in surprise for a moment~

DOCTOR:

~turns at the sound of footsteps, automatically giving a smile~ hey, Alia… ~looks concerned as he did notice her initial mood~ did something happen?

ALIA:

~she sniffs, wiping her eyes and avoiding the Doctor’s gaze~ I’m heading to my room. ~says it like it’s supposed to explain her whole situation~

DOCTOR:

~hesitantly steps toward Alia~ …what’s wrong? ~wanting to help but knowing he’s not Alia’s favorite person or someone she has much reason to trust~

ALIA:

~looks up at the Doctor in bewilderment, seeming to take a moment to process his words~ I-… ~her throat constricts and she holds back tears, speaking after a moment like she’s reciting aline~ I’m not supposed to show weakness in public. That makes for a bad leader. ~stands tall to try to seem more confident~

DOCTOR:

~smiles softly, shaking his head~ nonsense. A little weakness just means you’re a living person with thoughts and feelings like the rest of us. It’s prevailing despite weakness and not panicking that makes a good leader. Not showing weakness is what an untrusted or disliked dictator has to do. Besides, last time I checked, the Valiant isn’t particularly public unless the Master’s broadcasting something.

ALIA:

~not she looks distrusting almost to the point of being scared~ but-… Father said… ~takes a step toward the door she was initially heading to~

DOCTOR:

Your Father’s teaching you how to avoid assassination, which makes sense with the given circumstance… Nevertheless, you’re hardly a year old. You shouldn’t have to hide emotion like some sort of soldier. ~looks down at his feet~ and I suppose you have every right to distrust me—hate me, even—but I really do want what’s best for you.

ALIA:

~her expression softens, and she sinks to the floor defeatedly, unable to keep up her façade any longer as she puts her face in her hands and starts sobbing~

DOCTOR:

~walks calmly to Alia, not making any sudden or particularly quiet gestures as he kneels next to her and rubs her back comfortingly, knowing it’s something that makes it obvious that she can move away if she wants to~

ALIA:

~she continues to cry for a while, not objecting to the Doctor’s touch though it seems to help her calm down~ you… you’re not mad at me? ~asks in a small voice, wiping her wet cheeks~

DOCTOR:

~smiles, speaking in a softly relieved tone~ of course I’m not! Why would I be mad at you?

ALIA:

~sniffles, leaning slightly towards the Doctor as if hesitant~ bec-cause… Father would be…

DOCTOR:

I may be your Dad, but I am truthfully very different from your Father… and if I’m anything towards you I’m sorry I haven’t been here. ~subtly checks to be sure Alia isn’t injured, feeling bad about his untrusting suspicion~

ALIA:

~gently brings her arms around the Doctor’s waist, allowing herself to place trust in her own father~ you’re… here now, Daddy. ~sounds calm; though the Doctor is able to notice a slash near her elbow that can’t be more than two or three days old~

DOCTOR:

~wraps his arms around Alia in response, making sure the Master can’t read what’s going on through the link, murmuring in an innocently concerned tone~ did you fall? ~using the physical contact to mentally gesture to Alia’s elbow~

ALIA:

U-um… ~doesn’t have an answer right away, pausing and replying gently~ no… ~glances down at the long cut on her arm~ that was Father. ~tenses up as if immediately regretting her decision to respond sincerely~

DOCTOR:

~sighs~ thought so… I’m not going to tell him about any of this; I can empathize with you. ~looks down at Alia with a serious expression~ you should keep doing what your Father says for the time being…

MASTER:

~walks up behind them~ hm, sounds like a good idea! But, dear me, this looks like someone who’s _not_ listening! ~folds his arms, looking down at the Doctor and Alia with a mocking pout~

DOCTOR:

~slowly gets up and turns to the Master~ oh please, you have to have known I’d be against this from the start. I might have played exactly how you wanted if no one I knew personally was being hurt—but oops, seems there are… nine? Ten if you count the queen of England—or France even, depending on the time.

MASTER:

~smiles reassuringly and walks up to wrap his arms around the Doctor’s neck, meeting his gaze~ you know, my dear, I can change certain things if you’re not comfortable with them. All you need to do is ask me. ~his voice is soft and persuasive~

DOCTOR:

~relaxes a little, not letting his guard down entirely as the Master’s never been so cooperative when he’s trying to do something like this—and it wasn’t long ago that he pointed a gun at the Doctor. Takes a moment to carefully word his request~ alright… I just don’t think it’s fair to ask so much of Alia when she’s so young. I know you’re trying to protect her in your own way, but I also know there was a time when you were—worried by—the notion that you might hurt her.

MASTER:

~gives a sly smile~ some lessons just have to be learned the hard way, ~replies gently, suddenly freezing at the sharp crack of a gun being fired, standing for a moment in shock before sinking forward into the Doctor limply~

DOCTOR:

Wh- ~glances around frantically, supporting the Master’s weight with his arms around the other Timelord, clearly looking for whoever fired the gun~

ALIA:

~is standing off to the side with her gun in hand and a hardened expression on her face, watching blankly as the Master’s shirt develops a growing red stain by his side~

MASTER:

~starts to shiver~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head, quickly but carefully laying the Master down to look at the bullet wound, opening his suit and shirt to get to the wound~

MASTER:

~angrily tries to push the Doctor away and deny his help, his initial shock having died down somewhat though his movements are still weak~ get off of me, you twat!

DOCTOR:

~stops, responding in exasperation~ If someone doesn’t treat that, you’ll either bleed out or wedge that bullet further into yourself!

ALIA:

~there’s a small click as Alia reloads her gun~

MASTER:

~tries to sit himself up with one arm while the other holds his injured side~ go… there, ~gestures with a nod toward the control panel the Doctor was looking at earlier~ call someone in.

DOCTOR:

~nods in understanding, quickly using old combat tactics to disarm Alia before running to the panel to try to call someone in~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a mobile phone left on the panel~

MASTER:

~uses the mental link just so that he can relay a phone number to the Doctor presumably for him to call~

DOCTOR:

~calls the number the Master gives him without any questions, keeping an eye on Alia and the Master~

MASTER:

~lays back on the floor and starts laughing hysterically as the Doctor dials, his laughter getting caught in his throat and resulting in a choked sound~

PHONE:

~someone picks up, and they speak inarticulately but it sounds enough like an inquiry~

DOCTOR:

Uh, the Master was shot… ~looks at the Master in wary concern~ he’s alive, but he’s wounded.

PHONE:

~the person on the other end gives a simple “mhm” of affirmation, and hangs up~

ALIA:

~backs up from both the Doctor and the Master in a defensive stance~

DOCTOR:

~thinks for a second just about the nature of the call as he puts the phone back, turning to Alia with a disappointed look~

MASTER:

~a small pool of blood has started to form under him~

ALIA:

~backs up and turns to open the door she came in from originally~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master in concern~ you could have at least let me slow the bleeding.

MASTER:

~responds angrily as Alia slips away into another room~ well, I didn’t think you had the means to do as such!

DOCTOR:

It would be pretty makeshift and temporary, but I wouldn’t have tried so urgently to get to the wound if I couldn’t do anything to help—by now it might be better to just wait, though, depending on how quickly help can get here.

MASTER:

~mutters~ damn that child…

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator doors open and a group of three people steps out into the room, Dr. Holloway being one of them, immediately heading to the Master~

TOCLAFANE:

~multiple Toclafane materialize in the room, simply watching~

DOCTOR:

~instantly notices Dr. Holloway, only mildly surprised, watching as well out of concern but not speaking in order to just let the surgeon do his job uninterrupted~

PEOPLE:

~the other two people help the Master sit up slightly and move his clothing aside to get to the wound~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~gets down to work on the bullet wound with gloved hands~

ENVIRONMENT:

~after a few minutes a small, yellowish green creature of probably only three inches in height peeks out of Holloway’s pants pocket, looking around curiously~

DOCTOR:

~continues to watch, not noticing the creature right away as it’s not Dr. Holloway he’s worried about at the moment~

MASTER:

~grimaces in pain as the bullet is removed from his side, then the surgeon’s assistants help him to stand~

CREATURE:

~bounds out of Holloway’s pocket~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~quickly removes his gloves before picking the creature up and letting it crawl in his pocket again~

MASTER:

What’s that? ~asks skeptically~

DOCTOR:

~glances at the small being in curiosity, commenting though he knows the Master’s question wasn’t directed at him~ nothing I’ve ever seen.

CREATURE:

~squints and sticks out its small forked tongue at the Doctor indignantly~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~looks at a loss, starting to clear away the blood from the Master’s wound~

MASTER:

Come on, what is it? ~demands~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~his brow twitches in irritation~

DOCTOR:

Have you no common courtesy, Master? ~sounds more uncomfortable than scolding, hoping the weaker tone will get him a better response from the Master~

MASTER:

Why should I need to be courteous? That _thing_ might be part of a plan to thwart me! ~responds in protest, looking at Holloway in disgust as his wound is patched up before returning his gaze to the Doctor, and gesturing with his head towards Dr. Holloway~ Doctor, take it.

DOCTOR:

Seriously, Master? He’s the one who just stopped you from bleeding out! Besides, that creature doesn’t look like it’s going to harm anyone. ~hopes to an extreme extent that the creature _isn’t_ part of some rebellious plan~

MASTER:

~gives the Doctor a harsh look~ since when does that determine how hostile something is? ~pulls away from the people helping him stand, reaching over and grabbing the thing out of Holloway’s pocket~

DR HOLLOWAY:

Hey! ~he exclaims, trying to retrieve the creature~

MASTER:

~holds it out of reach~

DOCTOR:

~walks over, giving Dr. Holloway an apologetic glance~ come on; what reason do we have not to trust him? If he was going to kill you, he would have done it by now.

MASTER:

~finches back and drops the creature, it having bitten his finger~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~catches it, holding it protectively to his chest and backing away from the Master~

MASTER:

~turns to the Doctor and starts buttoning up his shirt~ fine; you’ll be coming with me. I’ve got things to do. ~speaks with finality~

DOCTOR:

Yes—and thank you, Master. ~gives Dr. Holloway a subtle wave as he’s hardly greeted the surgeon but doesn’t want to be too associated with him~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~seems too concerned for the pocket demon to notice, but he does look up and speak to the Master~ be careful, your wound needs suturing still! ~then he pauses, looking at the ground in bewilderment~

MASTER:

~quickly heads into the elevator~

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master, stopping himself from saying anything to Dr. Holloway as he’s done enough here that could make the Master angry~

MASTER:

~lets the doors close behind them before speaking sharply as he selects a floor~ yes; and angry I am. You’d better pray—better yet, beg—for mercy if you want to be able to remember what that word means.

DOCTOR:

I’m sorry, Master, I just remember how often he put his life on the line for us- ~reminds himself to bed, not explain or justify himself~ but I went against your will and I disobeyed a direct order and that was bad. I was bad. Please, Master, please have mercy on me…

MASTER:

~the elevator starts descending, and the Master lets his shoulders relax in a sigh before turning to face the Doctor~ alright. ~meets the Doctor’s gaze with a serious expression~ but I hope you understand that I cannot let this go entirely unpunished.

DOCTOR:

~his gaze drops to the floor for a second before he looks back at the Master to respond~ of course… Master. ~standing uneasily in the elevator~

MASTER:

~strikes him across the face, coming at him again from the other direction with the same amount of force as the first one~ I hope you’ll learn not to make me angry in the future, because if this happens again rest assured begging for mercy will get you _nothing._

ENVIRONMENT:

~the lift comes to a stop, doors opening to a hallway~

DOCTOR:

~flinches at both impacts, not letting himself bring a hand to his own face in pain, muttering~ yes, Master.

MASTER:

~turns and strides down the hallway~ don’t leave my sight. ~comes up to a particular room and opens the door, pushing inside~

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master closely, and to the side so he’s in the least suspicious position possible, easily walking into the room directly after the Master~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they walk into a spacious room with an oval table in the center, chairs all around it, though only one of them is pulled away from the table. Papers and documents are strewn across it carelessly, with no organization~

MASTER:

~pushes them aside to pick up the laser screwdriver buried underneath~

DOCTOR:

~stands next to the Master, glancing around at the seemingly randomized documents though he’s fully aware of the Master’s actions, wishing he had something to say~

MASTER:

Hm; I was thinking along similar lines. ~pockets the screwdriver, sitting down in the available chair and leafing through a particular pile of documents, which seem to be the fake ones the Doctor had made when they were trying to get the house~

DOCTOR:

Well… I don’t think I thanked you yet—despite all this, you did keep to what you said back in Aperture before I went comatose. So thanks for that. ~looks at the documents in curiosity as he speaks~

MASTER:

~tosses the pile back onto the table with a sigh~ you’re welcome, I suppose. ~picks up a file on the table, standing up and heading back to the door~ I couldn’t manage to keep any other of my promises… to myself or others.

DOCTOR:

~falters slightly as he follows the Master, not having expected the Master’s response~ you’ve always tried, though—at least from what I know. I’ve straight up lied in promises before.

MASTER:

~opens the door to be confronted by Dr. Holloway~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~moves back slightly in surprise before speaking~ I’m not finished treating you-

MASTER:

~pushes past him~

DOCTOR:

~gives Dr. Holloway an apologetic and almost understanding look, not daring to speak to him, still following the Master~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~moves aside, letting them both past~

MASTER:

~calls back to him~ come to my room in an hour. ~continues to walk, heading back into the elevator and inputting a passcode into a panel near the floor buttons~

DOCTOR:

~leans back on the elevator wall once he’s inside, forcing himself to relax a bit and speaking once the doors are closed~ so, I have to ask: how did you get out?

MASTER:

~chuckles faintly, slouching toward the ground and looking a bit weak before speaking gravely~ I bargained away my life, and the lives of the others. So in actuality, you and Alia are the only ones who are free.

DOCTOR:

~looks down at his feet—of course they’re not all free~ you know, I’d get mad at you over this if the response wasn’t purely hypocritical… what’s a test and what’s not, though?

MASTER:

~seems to have an increasingly difficult time standing and speaking as the elevator comes to a stop~ this is not. Well, it might be. I’m not sure. I’ve got ‘shifts’ to work, per say, between managing the world and testing in Aperture. She’s also got full access to all media up here and I’ve agreed to leave her subjects along when going to wipe out the rest of the human race.

DOCTOR:

Well, you didn’t lie, you’re busy. ~is about to ask if the Master’s okay, realizing he knows the answer full well and deciding he’ll just help if the Master needs it~

MASTER:

~chuckles weakly, trying his best not to sink to his knees as he holds his injured side, the bloodied stain having grown since before~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the doors open to a nice red-and-gold bedroom with plenty of space, the design of the furniture greatly resembling the type of things you’d find on Gallifrey~

DOCTOR:

~moves to the Master’s side, bringing his arm across the other Timelord’s back and hoping he doesn’t oppose the assistance~

MASTER:

~stumbles into the room, not openly opposing the Doctor’s actions but he does move away from his arm; heads to the chair behind a round desk to his right, sitting down with a pained sigh~ why the hell did she shoot… was she really trying to kill me…? ~opens his shirt to look at the wound, still bleeding profusely~

DOCTOR:

~lets his arm drop to his side, speaking in a softer tone~ I hate to speak out of pure logic, but why else does someone shoot a gun at someone else? To disable, I suppose, but still…

MASTER:

Was it because of that petty scratch I gave her? ~scoffs in irritation, holding his wound with one hand while the other digs in his pocket for the screwdriver, changing the setting to something more dangerous~

DOCTOR:

I do think emotional abuse might be an issue too, but I’m not sure you want my advice… In case you think I’ve chosen a side, my moral preference was lost when she shot you.

MASTER:

~gives a small grin, glancing over at the Doctor briefly~ if her intention _was_ to kill me, I’d say I’m actually rather disappointed. I _did_ teach her not to miss. ~brings the screwdriver down to his wound, grimacing as he cauterizes it to stop the bleeding~

DOCTOR:

~just stands by, reasoning aloud~ maybe she just wanted pay-back. Either way, I wouldn’t blame her if she faltered when shooting her own father.

MASTER:

~sets the screwdriver down on the table, pausing a moment as he uses the bandages to clear the blood away as best as he can~ I would, but that’s just the way I am.

DOCTOR:

Oh, believe me, I know. ~is outside the elevator, relatively near the Master, adding in a distant tone~ sometimes I wish I could think like you…

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator doors close~

MASTER:

~looks at the Doctor in surprise, the corners of his mouth curling upward in amusement~ think like me? How so?

DOCTOR:

Maybe, if I didn’t make it my job to save the many over the few, I could just save the people I care for. And if I valued power over mercy, the Daleks would be dead. If I distrusted the humans of Aperture and took the time to think, GLaDOS could be dead for good.

MASTER:

~lets his smile grow to a full grin, standing up and pulling off his suit jacket to leave it on the chair~ how interesting. ~steps up to the Doctor, placing hands on either side of his neck and sliding them to the Doctor’s shoulders, so his robe falls to rest around his arms~ I actually might be able to do that for you. If you’re serious, that is.

DOCTOR:

~wavers, thinking over his options before meeting the Master’s gaze~ despite the fact that this goes against pretty much everything I’ve stood for… go ahead. I’m serious.

MASTER:

~stops himself from chuckling before closing the space between himself and the Doctor, leaning into a passionate kiss and not doing anything at first. But then he demands entry to the Doctor’s mind, pushing through to gain access to absolutely everything~

DOCTOR:

~lets the Master have what he wants fairly easily though he is made a bit uncomfortable by the absolute vulnerability as even the Time War itself is unlocked~

MASTER:

~starts out tweaking small things—barely noticeable, like which memories are more likely to come to mind; then he moves on to alter the way the Doctor looks back on certain memories, for example, the Time Wear almost entirely loses its negativity and is instead seen as a victory. At this point the kiss has been going on for a good while, so he pauses momentarily to breathe~

DOCTOR:

~pants, looking at the changes in intrigue—as he has been paying attention, part of him surprised that he doesn’t already regret his decision, his mind still utterly unguarded~

MASTER:

~comes forward again to continue the kiss with enthusiasm, bringing one arm around the Doctor’s waist and pulling him close as he resumes his work, further enforcing what he’s put in place and even confabulating a few minor memories that the Doctor won’t notice right away, all while gradually letting himself reveal the drums through their link~

DOCTOR:

~kisses the Master back almost aggressively, leaning into him as his mind is altered, not once resisting the Master~

MASTER:

~slowly, carefully leans back until the kiss is broken, opening his eyes and letting a grin spread across his face~ so.

DOCTOR:

So? ~blinks in disorientation before seeming to accept the completely new but oddly familiar thought process~

MASTER:

~as a last finishing touch he makes sure the Doctor’s memories of the Master enforcing his obedience are very easy to remember~ how are you feeling-? ~ends his sentence oddly, tensing up and grimacing in pain~

DOCTOR:

Besides like you should sit down or something before you kill yourself, I’m honestly not sure… ~but he does know to a certain extent—he just doesn’t know why he doesn’t mind, or why he should~

MASTER:

~takes his hands away from the Doctor, stepping back over toward the chair~ I suppose you’re right.

 


	11. The Valiant

DR HOLLOWAY:

~the elevator opens, and Dr. Holloway peers out, looking worried~ I know it’s not been an hour, but with all due respect sir you’re not capable of surviving that long without treatment. Please come down to the lab.

DOCTOR:

~glances briefly at Dr. Holloway before speaking to the Master~ I do have to agree with Dr. Holloway, given where she shot you. At the very least, you’d be unconscious, but I wouldn’t take the chance.

MASTER:

~sighs, having been about to sit back down, now standing up~ alright. But while I’m gone I want you to find Alia, wherever she’s gone off to. You have permission to take any initiative you see fit. ~walks up to the elevator, glancing back briefly before stepping inside~

DOCTOR:

Alright, Master. ~waits until they’ve gone to take the elevator back up to the level he last saw Alia at, figuring it best to start there~

ENVIRONMENT:

~on the main deck of the Valiant, the only person there is a maid the Doctor doesn’t recognize, cleaning the blood stains out of the floor~

MAID:

~turns briefly to glance over when the elevator arrives~

DOCTOR:

~waves to the maid with a little smile~ hello, I’m the Doctor. I’m just looking for Alia; do you happen to know where she is?

MAID:

~pauses in her work, standing up hastily to face the Doctor~ I do not know her current location, sir, but I can provide information to help you; Alia’s bedroom is over there, second door on the right ~points to the door to the Doctor’s right~ and there’s a security surveillance room on the second floor with access to cameras around most of the ship. Is there anything else I can do for you, sir? ~her quick response seems almost fearful~

DOCTOR:

~his smile shifts to a grin at her response~ no, thank you. ~walks toward the door the maid gestured to, figuring it’s closest and the most likely place to find Alia~

MAID:

~gives a respectful nod of her head~ you’re welcome. ~quickly gets back to her task~

ENVIRONMENT:

~in the hallway behind the door, the second room on the right has a locked door and is dark inside~

DOCTOR:

~decidedly knocks on the door, matching the beat of four unintentionally~ Alia? It’s just me, are you in there?

ALIA:

~there’s a brief shuffle and a muffled shout from behind the door~ I’m armed!

DOCTOR:

~there’s clear irritation in his voice when he responds~ I wasn’t told to hurt you, Alia. Your father did send me, though, because he’s busy making sure he doesn’t die over a bullet wound.

ALIA:

~there’s a moment of silence before she speaks again, distress making her words shake~ you should both just _leave_ me alone! You’re ruining EVERYTHING!

DOCTOR:

What do you mean? ~sounds hurt, not touching the door as he speaks from the hallway~ I only just got here, but maybe I can help fix whatever it is you’re talking about—that is, of course, only if you tell me.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room is quiet again, the door handle turning slightly after a moment as the door is pushed open slightly, letting the Doctor see inside, though the brightest thing in the room is the glint on the sword Alia had used to nudge the door open~

ALIA:

~is now holding it at the ready~ I suppose you weren’t actually… _ruining_ anything, really… ~speaks gently and with regret~

DOCTOR:

~smiles as he’s finally lured her out, glancing up at her weapon disapprovingly~ is the sword really necessary? While I do like it better than the gun, you can clearly see that I’m entirely unarmed… though I do wonder how well-trained you are in the art of sword fighting.

ALIA:

~raises an eyebrow slightly, speaking with an almost mocking tone~ do you wish to test my skill? ~holds the sword in a defensive stance, though her actions seem almost playful, maybe even with a hint of a challenge~

DOCTOR:

If I could do much other than dodge at the moment, I would, though I will warn you—I beat the leader of the Sycorax in a sword fight not long after regenerating once. ~smirks, looking at Alia~ although, if you want a fight, I’ll certainly have to oblige.

ALIA:

~smirks back at the Doctor, backing up a few steps and taking another sword off of a rack on the wall and tossing it to the Doctor~ en garde.

DOCTOR:

~easily catches the sword by its handle, grinning happily~ en garde. ~brings his sword up defensively, waiting to see Alia’s first move~

ALIA:

~she continues to back into the dark room until she’s mostly concealed by shadow, keeping her gaze locked onto the Doctor and sticking her tongue out tauntingly~

DOCTOR:

~advances toward Alia, swinging his sword from left to right inches away from where he estimates she is, listening and watching for anything he may have to dodge~

ALIA:

~brings her sword up to meet the Doctor’s with a clash, starting to circle towards the door as she takes a swipe at the Doctor, making it obvious she intended to miss~

DOCTOR:

Ah yes, that reminds me. ~lunges to Alia’s left~ your Father was wondering if you missed on purpose.

ALIA:

~dodges a little clumsily, though by moving further right she reaches the door and is close enough to kick it closed~ I did not.

ENVIRONMENT:

~it is now considerably dark in the room~

ALIA:

I was aiming for his head. But I let myself reconsider at the last minute… ~grits her teeth, advancing on the Doctor~ I thought about how you might feel… and it slowed me down.

DOCTOR:

You did the right thing. ~swipes towards Alia’s footsteps in such a way that it should catch on her clothes if she doesn’t dodge~ now I ask you this: are you taking advantage of a weakness you shouldn’t know about unless the Master told you?

ALIA:

~just barely misses being grazed by the Doctor’s blade, smirking as she treads lightly to her right~ a weakness, eh? I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific, Dad. Whose weakness? ~lets a hint of sarcasm sneak into her tone, swiping at where the Doctor’s legs should be~

DOCTOR:

~jumps back, getting just slightly grazed on the knee~ I’m not too fond of the dark… ~swings and stops not much before he should have hit her neck~ though I _have_ had to learn to work with it.

ALIA:

~freezes for a brief moment, then brings her sword up to shove the Doctor’s blade away from her neck~ same here. ~starts advancing as she swings back and forth repetitively so that the Doctor can hear the noise and know she’s getting closer~ than to answer your question, yes I am.

DOCTOR:

You would be dead if I wanted to kill you just then. Don’t be afraid to duck. ~steps forward to clash his sword against Alia’s and attempt to twist it out of her grasp~ that being said; when you duck, be ready to jump.

ALIA:

~nearly drops it, adjusting her grip to be more firm and pushing back against the Doctor’s sword the opposite way~ so… I can be prepared for a lower attack? ~abruptly slides her blade down along the Doctor’s, meeting his fingers to try and get him to drop his weapon as well~

DOCTOR:

~turns his sword so the force Alia puts into hers makes it slide away from his fingers~ exactly; because once you’re closer to the ground, your opponent will attack accordingly. ~steps back slightly to swing his sword around Alia’s to catch it again on the other side~

ALIA:

~stays still for a moment, stealthily backing away from the Doctor and tapping the tip of her sword twice on the ground as if beckoning a dog~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles at the gesture, moving towards Alia in a defensive stance as such an obvious taunt makes an ambush the obvious next move~

ALIA:

~slinks closer to the door before dropping her sword entirely, its loud clatter further hiding the sound of her soft footsteps as she circles around behind the Doctor, simply standing there holding her breath~

DOCTOR:

~moves quickly to the sword, carefully finding it with his foot to pick it up and turn back to the shadows with haste~ not too surprising, given your mentor.

ALIA:

~moves more quickly than the Doctor, coming up behind him with a small dagger and pressing it to the back of his neck as he’s picking up the second sword, her other hand gripping the Doctor’s collar~ I’m surprised he hasn’t taught _you_ a few things.

DOCTOR:

Oh, believe me, ~swiftly brings a sword up behind his head and nicks Alia’s arms—whether or not the action’s purposeful remaining unclear, his voice suddenly adopting a darker tone~ the Master’s teachings are something I can’t forget.

ALIA:

~bites her lip and muffles her small exclamation of pain, giving the Doctor’s neck a small cut with her dagger before backing away and dropping that weapon, too~

MASTER:

~delivers the mental equivalent of a slap in the face, demanding the Doctor explain what he’s doing and why it’s causing him injury~

DOCTOR:

~mentally responds that he’s absolutely fine, explaining the sparring sort of sword fight and his accident that leads to why he’s minorly injured as he speaks aloud~ alright, hold up, your Father’s mad at me. ~brings a hand up over the scratch on his neck just until the blood can dry to a crust, dropping a sword in the process, speaking in innocent concern~ did I cut you?

ALIA:

Yeah… It’s just a little scratch; it’s fine. ~looks at both sides of her arms, then up at the Doctor in confusion~ Father’s… mad at you?

DOCTOR:

Yeah. ~looks over at Alia, smiling~ it’ll be fine, though. I didn’t go against anything he said directly.

ALIA:

But how would you know? ~picks up her dagger and the sword the Doctor dropped, hanging them both back up on the rack, assuming their spar has been broken up~

DOCTOR:

Oh—I suppose you really don’t have reason to know; your Father and I are telepathically linked, so no matter where either of us are, it’s easy to communicate. Because it’s a mental connection, however, we also instantly know if the other’s hurt or in danger unless we don’t want the other to know. I keep my mind fairly open, so, when you cut my neck, the Master could tell that something hurt me—however minor the injury is.

ALIA:

It’s not safe to have your mind unguarded like that. ~speaks in a concerned tone, but there’s also a hint of distaste~

DOCTOR:

It’s a bit of an unspoken rule amongst Timelords to not mess with someone else’s mind unless they ask for it… ~trails off thoughtfully, looking troubled~

ALIA:

~nudges the door open slightly, almost glaring back at the Doctor~ come on, Dad, you of all people should know that Timelords aren’t the only telepathic threat. ~notices his troubled look with confusion~ you alright?

DOCTOR:

Don’t worry about me, I seem to miraculously survive as frequently as your father. ~brings his hand away from his scratch, licking the small amoun of blood off his hand and muttering something under his breath~

ALIA:

~furrows her eyebrows, pausing for a moment in thought~ what _were_ your original orders, anyway?

DOCTOR:

“Find Alia, wherever she’s gone off to. You have permission to take any initiative you see fit.” Is exactly what he said.

ALIA:

~sighs~ I’m not willing to cooperate with him anymore. And it seems that includes you as well, if you’re going to be at his beck and call. ~watching the Doctor, heads out into the hallway calmly~

DOCTOR:

~follows Alia out with a frown~ oh, that’s too bad… ~grins, chuckling like a child that’s just played a trick on their friend~ because I’ve come to like my position, and I was even going to see if I could persuade the Master to believe that you’re no threat to his plans, but I’m afraid I can only tell him what I now know is the truth.

ALIA:

~smirks, not turning to look back at the Doctor as she continues to walk further down the hallway~ the truth? How can you be sure anything I just said was true? You’re thicker than I thought if you believe I’d be completely open about my plans to anyone on this ship.

DOCTOR:

~his voice comes angered and unsteady~ has your Father ever told you _why_ Gallifrey’s gone?

ALIA:

~pauses, turning around and looking back at the Doctor with interest~ no… are you going to tell me?

DOCTOR:

I suppose you’re old enough to know who I am… there was a huge, horrible war over the fate of the universe between the Timelords and the Daleks. I became well known as the soldier I was, but that was nothing good… we were losing.

ALIA:

~looks skeptical, but stands her ground~ alright, I knew that. What’s your point?

DOCTOR:

Alright, just making sure you know it was utter hell before I tell you what I did. I stole a weapon, went somewhere where no one could see what I was doing, and, with a press of a button, I burnt Gallifrey and all the Timelords and Daleks, and I won the war.

ALIA:

~meets the Doctor’s gaze with confusion, obviously not processing this information right away~ you mean to tell me… you destroyed two entire races. And your home planet… ~takes a step back, now looking worried~ why tell me this now?

DOCTOR:

Why not tell you now? You deserve to know, and you basically declared your distrust in me, so when’s a better time to tell you? I didn’t intend to survive the double-genocide, mind you, but some Daleks survived too. I’ll keep destroying them, and they’ll keep coming back. I did what I had to to save creation, though.

ALIA:

~turns around almost uncomfortably, continuing to walk down the hallway until she reaches the end of it, where there’s a small window that she looks out of thoughtfully~ the Doctor, eh?

DOCTOR:

Yes, though the nicknames get creative, that is my name. ~looks curious as he responds, not seeing how his name matters~

ALIA:

~shakes her head, gazing down upon the destruction the Master has wreaked~ do you approve of this, then? Genocide of yet another species?

DOCTOR:

~is about to answer when he stops, looking increasingly confused as he thinks over it~ I mean, I shouldn’t, probably, or maybe not?

ALIA:

~turns around after a short moment of letting the Doctor be confused, looking at him sharply~ what’s he done to you?

DOCTOR:

Nothing I didn’t ask for! ~sighs, shaking his head~ I thought I could _use_ it. That maybe, if I controlled it, it could help us… or at least help me.

ALIA:

~takes a few steps toward the Doctor, one hand prepared to go to her hip holster~ what’s ‘it’?

DOCTOR:

~responds bitterly~ nothing that you can shoot unless you really want me dead. ~meets Alia’s gaze~ remember when I said we don’t mess with each other’s minds… unless the person asks for it?

ALIA:

~relaxes her hand, looking back at the Doctor almost angrily~ don’t tell me you went and asked for… whatever it is he did. That would be utterly idiotic; if the Master complies to something it’s unlikely to be beneficial to anyone but _him._

DOCTOR:

~raises a hand as if to hit Alia, faltering, dropping his hand, and yelling~ how DARE you!? Did he ever tell you why we’re free right now? Or who wrecked this exact plan last time? Your father may be far from a selfless Saint, but he has sacrificed more than what’s ever necessary for us!

ALIA:

~shies away when the Doctor raises his hand, relaxing only slightly when he drops it~ sacrificed!? He doesn’t _care_ about the others, and I swear he _enjoys_ it all, even when he has to leave!

DOCTOR:

~speaks through gritted teeth~ Alia… I’ve been very kind and very honest to you, but if you imply that the Master simply DOESN’T CARE about us again, I _will_ stop following my old rules and you can answer to the byproduct of me giving in to what the Master’s done to my head.

ALIA:

~goes silent, looking at the floor and speaking apologetically, managing to force the spite out of her tone though her statement remains~ yes, father.

MASTER:

~calmly requests the Doctor’s attention, asking that he break up the fight and bring Alia up to him in his room without further delay~

DOCTOR:

~speaks to Alia in a grim yet almost guilty tone, having fully noticed her response~ speaking of which, come on, he wants you. ~starts towards the elevator, keeping an eye on Alia in case she chooses not to comply~

ALIA:

~hesitates briefly, following the Doctor at a distance and speaking warily~ what for?

DOCTOR:

~speaks in mock wonder~ hm, I’m not sure… maybe… he’s still a little miffed that you shot him?

ALIA:

That’s to be expected. ~replies with mild irritation at the Doctor’s mockery~ I was wondering if you had any guesses as to what he plans to do.

MASTER:

~adds quickly as if just remembering that he’d like to make sure Alia’s unarmed~

DOCTOR:

Your guess is as good as mine, but I’m afraid that—for obvious reasons—I’ll be needing your gun. ~turns to Alia expectantly~ though I _am_ more than capable of disarming you if you resist.

ALIA:

~shifts her gaze to the side, glaring at the wall as she withdraws her gun and hands it over to the Doctor~

MASTER:

~contentedly praises the Doctor for his good work~

DOCTOR:

Thank you. ~smiles at the praise, making sure the safety’s on as he continues toward the elevator, not wanting to look like he intends to use the gun~

ALIA:

~follows the Doctor into the main room~

MAID:

~is finishing up her work. She notices them and nods to them with a cautious smile in acknowledgement of their presence~

DOCTOR:

~nods back to the maid, not stopping or speaking to her, soon getting into the elevator and waiting for Alia to get in before pressing the button to get to the Master’s room~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator hesitates for a few moments, then the doors slide closed and it start ascending~

ALIA:

~is quiet the whole trip, looking up when the elevator comes to a stop~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the doors open to the Master’s room, and the Master is lying on the bed at the very back of the room, which is separated from the closer section of the room by a small flight of three stairs~

MASTER:

You took longer than expected.

DOCTOR:

~explains easily, stepping out of the elevator and into the room~ bringing Alia here was only in your most recent set of instructions, and the elevator took longer than usual.

ALIA:

~refrains from stepping out of the elevator~

MASTER:

~sits up carefully to look over at the Doctor~ I suppose that is true. Did you have a good time?

DOCTOR:

~looks a little taken aback from the given question as it seems innocently curious, answering truthfully~ I suppose, overall, yes; I did.

MASTER:

Good, good… ~his gaze slides over to meet Alia’s, and he lays back down before speaking~ bring her over, please.

DOCTOR:

~steps back so he’s partially in the elevator, keeping Alia’s gun in his hand away from her~ come on. ~gesturing for her to step out of the elevator, thinking she might just realize that staying in the elevator will accomplish nothing~

ALIA:

~meets the Doctor’s gaze with disapproval and spite, calling to mind the Doctor’s quick obedience to the person she assumedly likes the least; after a moment she silently complies, stepping out of the elevator and letting the doors close behind her~

DOCTOR:

~impatiently brings an arm behind Alia to guide her to the Master, not wanting to take too long to just bring her across the room~ scowling at me helps nothing.

ALIA:

~resists minimally, just as if to make her disagreement known as she’s walked up to the side of the Master’s bed~

MASTER:

~sits up again and makes a dismissive gesture toward the Doctor~ you can go, I’d like to have a word with her.

DOCTOR:

What would you have me do with the gun? ~lifts the weapon slightly to gesture to it, fully intending to leave the second he gets an answer~

MASTER:

~looks at the gun thoughtfully for a brief moment~ hold onto it for the moment. I’ll call you back up as soon as I’m finished talking to Alia.

DOCTOR:

~nods, turning to go~ yes, Master. ~strides up and into the elevator to go back down to the area he was just in as he doesn’t know where else to go, glad that the Master trusts him with a weapon in his presence~

MAID:

~is gone by now~

MASTER:

~only takes a total of three minutes before he gets back to the Doctor, saying the elevator is available for him to come back up, and requesting that he bring the gun with him~

DOCTOR:

~takes the elevator back up, wondering what the Master talking to Alia about that took such a short period of time~

ENVIRONMENT:

~back in the Master’s room, Alia is gone~

MASTER:

~sits on the edge of his bed and is in the process of putting on a new button-up shirt that’s not stained with blood~ set it on the table, please.

DOCTOR:

~walks in and sets the gun down on the table as he’s told, commenting casually~ that certainly was quick.

MASTER:

~smirks slightly, beckoning the Doctor over to him~ why thank you. I dealt with the issue swiftly; I wouldn’t have wanted to keep you waiting.

DOCTOR:

~smiles, walking over to the Master at his bedside~ which is appreciated, considering I’d probably spend the time making progressively less likely scenarios as to what’s going on.

MASTER:

I’d rather not have to look up to speak to you. ~glances at the Doctor briefly, tapping the ground in front of him once with his foot and reaching over to bunch up his bloodied articles of cothing~

DOCTOR:

~rolls his eyes slightly, kneeling in front of the Master despite his mild exasperation~

MASTER:

~sets the clothes at the edge of his bed, turning back to the Doctor and leaning forward slightly~ how do you feel about the changes I’ve made? Do they help?

DOCTOR:

Yes, ~his expression turns to one of concern as he adds~ though disagreeing with my own rules gets a bit more than confusing…

MASTER:

~brings a hand up to brush his fingers down the Doctor’s cheek, giving him a sympathetic look~ would you like me to try to make it better? ~he purrs softly~

DOCTOR:

How…? ~has to force himself to question the Master, knowing he should~

MASTER:

However you like. ~moves his hand to nudge the Doctor’s chin up slightly~ I think I pushed it a little too far with the drums, though. Do you mind? ~he carefully closes the beat of four off from the Doctor again~

DOCTOR:

Not at all. ~relaxes a bit as if deciding to trust the Master—never his best move, but he can’t see anything horrible happening as a result this time~

MASTER:

~brings his other hand to the Doctor’s face as well, affectionately brushing his thumb against the Doctor’s cheek~ let’s start with that. Be sure to tell me if there’s anything that you don’t like; I’ll gladly change it for you. ~gives a humored wink~ within reason, of course.

DOCTOR:

~tries to think of something he objects to but finds he’s going against himself again, just saying instead~ of course, Master.

MASTER:

~laughs, and ruffles the Doctor’s hair playfully~ oh, don’t be so serious. ~sits up, folding his hands in his lap and looking the Doctor up and down~ do you want something other than that robe to wear?

DOCTOR:

~smiles happily at the Master’s response, briefly glancing down at himself as if he had forgotten what he’s wearing~ oh. Yes, please.

MASTER:

~carefully stands up, one hand gently holding his injured side out of caution as he walks around the Doctor to the dresser behind him, searching through the drawers~ hm… I don’t think you’d fit into clothes my size…

DOCTOR:

Probably not… unless you have something that’s a bit big on you. ~hesitates slightly to say the comment even though he couldn’t care less what size the Master is~

MASTER:

~doesn’t seem offended by the Doctor’s comment, too caught up in his task as he crouches down to the lowest drawer~ ooh, look at that. ~reaches in, pulling out multiple folded up sets of maid outfits~ these must’ve been misplaced. I’ve got all different sizes…

DOCTOR:

Ah, good! ~turns around now to see what the Master’s talking about, not much caring that the clothing’s that of a feminine servant~

MASTER:

~seems somewhat surprised at the Doctor’s eager reaction, having expected at least a little resistance; smiles in amusement and hands the Doctor a set that should be in his size~ alright then, here you go.

DOCTOR:

~takes the clothing easily, standing up~ why resist when I know fully well that you could just convince me otherwise?

MASTER:

~chuckles, closing the drawer and standing up as well~ good thinking. ~gives him a couple pats on the head in praise before walking back to the bed to sit down~ I’m not to move around much, apparently.

DOCTOR:

Makes sense; don’t want to mess things up too much in there—though the only time I’m still for long is when I’m asleep or unconscious. ~walks down to where the table is to set the maid outfit down, figuring that if the Master wants him to change somewhere else for some reason, he’ll say so~

MASTER:

~looks at the Doctor skeptically, deciding not to reprimand him but rather just give a small warning~ I hope you’re not considering leaving or hiding, Doctor.

DOCTOR:

Not at all, Master, just changing somewhere I can set things down as that makes it easier. ~makes a slightly over-exaggerated gesture towards the table before disrobing~

MASTER:

Alright. Just making sure, you know. Anything could happen. ~leans back slightly and supports himself with his arms, casually watching the Doctor from a good angle~

DOCTOR:

So you keep saying. ~puts on the maid’s outfit~

MASTER:

~smirks and then chuckles, obviously amused by this~ it’s true, isn’t it? You look great, by the way. ~his tone is a bit hard to read, so it’s unclear if his statement was sarcastic or meant as a genuine compliment~

DOCTOR:

Thanks? And not _anything_ is possible; there are things that remain utterly impossible because of the basic rules of this universe. Granted, behavior and conscious decisions are not in the same category.

MASTER:

~seems to ignore what the Doctor’s saying, smiling with contented amusement and simply watching the Doctor’s movements, his gaze focusing on anything but the Doctor’s face~

DOCTOR:

~smirks good-humoredly, speaking in a lightheartedly sarcastic tone though he’s not sure if the Master will care what he says~ am I going to have to remind you where my eyes are in order to talk to you now?

MASTER:

~meets the Doctor’s gaze in surprise as if snapped out of a trance~ huh? ~smiles once he figures out what the Doctor said, chuckling lightly~ oh. My apologies; perhaps you will.

DOCTOR:

~laughs a little at the Master’s response, smiling back at him~ it’s fine. I’m glad you like what you see.

MASTER:

Oh come on; I always like to see you, no matter what you’re wearing. ~beckons the Doctor over, with open arms~

DOCTOR:

~happily walks over, sitting next to the Master within the other Timelord’s wide gesture~

MASTER:

~brings an arm around the Doctor’s waist, pulling him close and speaking softly to him~ I’m glad to have you by my side, Doctor. I’m sorry if I scared you at first. ~pecks the Doctor’s cheek~

DOCTOR:

~relaxes, leaning into the Master slightly~ it’s alright, Master. ~gently brings an arm around the Master, careful to avoid his bullet wound~

MASTER:

~smiles in satisfaction, going quiet as if savoring the moment before looking at the Doctor with a more serious expression~ alright, now down to business. You are fully aware of my situation and the fact that I trust you, correct?

DOCTOR:

~meets the Master’s gaze, nodding and matching the Master’s serious tone~ yes, Master.

MASTER:

Well, there’s a bit of an issue. I’m scheduled to leave in about two hours—you know where to—and usually I pass the responsibility to Alia. But for obvious reasons, she’s not going to be trusted with that anymore. ~smiles slightly~ you, my dear, are the only one I can fall back on.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at the Master though he doesn’t take the responsibility lightly~ good thing I’m not still comatose… just tell me what needs to be taken care of.

MASTER:

~loses his smile, looking thoughtful~ I get the feeling I’d be dead anyway if you were still comatose… ~looks back up, abandoning that train of thought~ it’s probably best if you don’t make any large advances, but that means the Toclafane might get impatient; be prepared for that. When Alia get back, keep her updated. I just need you to keep everything sustained as it is until I return. Can you do that?

DOCTOR:

~remembers what Alia said about why she didn’t shoot to kill and realizes that the Master’s right, grateful that he managed to wake up when he did~ sure thing, Master, but—if I may ask—when Alia gets back from what?

MASTER:

I gave her an assignment. Potentially dangerous; I was going to do it myself, but obviously it wasn’t the most appealing of missions. Hopefully it will teach her not to slip up.

DOCTOR:

Alright… I’d tell you to take it easy while you’re gone or something along those lines, but unless things have changed drastically, I don’t think that it’ll help anything.

MASTER:

~chuckles halfheartedly~ I can try. The circumstances _are_ somewhat different for me. ~closes his eyes with a weary sigh~ I might just use Tav’s zero room before I leave. If possible.

DOCTOR:

~nods, dismissing his memory of Claire as soon as it comes up~ on a nicer note, you said you had about two hours before you have to go.

MASTER:

Yes, but that includes what I have to do to get ready. Other than that… I suppose I do have some free time. Would you like to go somewhere?

DOCTOR:

~shrugs slightly~ I don’t know where we’d go, but sure… do you have somewhere in mind?

MASTER:

Not particularly. We can’t use a TARDIS, there are none available, and down on the surface there’s barely anything left. ~shakes his head~ I shouldn’t have mentioned it; there’s nowhere to go but somewhere else on the Valiant.

DOCTOR:

Alright then… speaking of which, I don’t think I ever asked you before, why _is_ total genocide of humans necessary for your big plan?

MASTER:

~shrugs~ why not? They’d just get in my way. As they are. Besides, I think your obsession with them has grown to the point of being unhealthy. ~gives the Doctor an almost mocking sympathetic look~

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~is simultaneously okay and appalled with the statement, convincing himself that agreeing with the Master is best either way~

MASTER:

~his hand travels absently up the Doctor’s side as he looks at the ground in thought for a while, eventually standing up in decision~ I think I’ll go early.

DOCTOR:

~stands up after the Master~ okay. I think I’ll look around the Valiant—I’ve never seen much other than that main area… ~remembers last time—why didn’t he join the Master? This is certainly better than last time~

MASTER:

Really? I thought I paraded you around at least once during the Year. ~shrugs~ I could stay just long enough to show you around. I’d rather not have you exploring in places you shouldn’t be.

DOCTOR:

You might have—but I might have also been going senile. ~smirks at his own statement, adding with a grand gesture toward the elevator~ in any case, lead the way.

MASTER:

Right. ~smiles at the Doctor with a nod before walking down toward the elevator, pausing by the table to grab his suit jacket and pull it on. Despite his general cheerfulness, something about his demeanor seems troubled~

DOCTOR:

~notices the Master’s underlying worry, speaking cautiously~ is everything alright…? ~clearly purely concerned for the Master~

MASTER:

~steps into the elevator, holding the door open for the Doctor and looking somewhat distressed~ I’ve got the weight of the entire world on my shoulders; plus you, and Alia… I can’t help but be a little stressed.

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master into the elevator, smiling slightly~ well my offer to help is—clearly—still open if you need it. You don’t have to do everything yourself, even when you’re here and fully capable.

MASTER:

~sighs as the elevator doors slide closed~ that’s what will probably end up happening. Thank you; I’ll need the help… ~selects a floor, now seeming more run-down than before the Doctor commented on his mood~

DOCTOR:

No problem; I’d get bored without something to do anyway. ~stares at the elevator doors thoughtfully~

MASTER:

~chuckles, but briefly~ oh trust me, even if you don’t end up helping I doubt you’ll be bored for any extended period of time.

ENVRIONMENT:

~the elevator comes to a stop on the lowest floor, doors opening to a grated pathway through a hall that has wires and machines snaking up the walls, dim lighting and a noisy environment~

DOCTOR:

~is automatically uneasy in the new area, having to remind himself that he’s safe aboard the Valiant—at least from Her~ so, this is an engine room of sorts?

MASTER:

Basically—there are a few other things down here as well, like holding cells, storage, Tav… the kinds of things no one really wants to see. ~gives a small wink~ but there _is_ something that I’d say counts as an exception. ~steps out onto the walkway, and starts to walk toward where the hall splits off in either direction~

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master, a mixture of wary and excited to see this apparently interesting thing that the Master’s kept in this area of the Valiant~

MASTER:

~looks ahead again, his lips curling into a smirk as he murmurs something to himself as an addition to what he said, turning right~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they walk past an area that looks an awful lot like the holding cells the Master mentioned only a moment ago. Almost all of them are empty, except for one that looks like it’s been completely overridden by Aperture cords that are idly shifting about~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the one cell with a level of discomfort, trying to remain calm and composed—though he does drift to the opposite side of the hallway from the cords~

MASTER:

~slows, stopping just to the one side of the cell with cords and looking over at the Doctor with concern~ is something wrong? You’ve gone quiet.

DOCTOR:

~gestures to the cell~ the cords—while these seem docile—have never been known as anything close to good news. At least by me.

MASTER:

~continues to walk, heading right up to the door of the holding cell and going to unlock it~

CORDS:

~they become more animated as if in excitement~

MASTER:

Well, I’m sorry to say, this is where I was headed. ~unlocks the door, but doesn’t open it yet as the cords are trying to squeeze around the frame~ it’s safe; don’t worry.

DOCTOR:

~relaxes at the Master’s reassurance, though his gaze stays locked on the cords~ alright; I trust you. ~his statement almost sounds like a warning as he steps closer to the cage—just because he was on the exact opposite side from them~

MASTER:

Thank you. ~opens the door now~

CORDS:

~reach out to immediately ensnare the Master, pulling him into the cell though when he starts pushing them away they comply. A few wires venture curiously towards the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly once he sees the Master perfectly unharmed in the midst of the cords, looking at the few wires that chose to stray towards him~ like I’ve said before—they can be almost cute when they’re not trying to cause anyone excruciating pain.

MASTER:

~gives a short chuckle at the Doctor’s comment, gesturing for him to follow~ come on; this isn’t everything. It’s merely here to serve as a cover.

CORDS:

~at his words, they reach further towards the Doctor to try and pull him in as well~

DOCTOR:

Okay. ~walks towards the Master, glad that he doesn’t have to work against the cords to do so~

CORDS:

~wrap themselves around the Doctor and feel along him but don’t block his path, as if curiously inspecting a newcomer~

MASTER:

~continues to move deeper into the mass of cords until he reaches a shimmering blue oval, which all the cords are coming from~ this, is my direct doorway to Aperture. I come and go as I please. And of course, when I have to.

DOCTOR:

~lets the cords explore him, looking at the portal to Aperture, finding he’s not as uncomfortable as he feels like he ought to be~ I still wonder what in the world they were electrifying to get us there.

MASTER:

Electrifying? ~looks back at the Doctor in confusion, seeing the cords all over him and stepping over to brush them away scoldingly~

DOCTOR:

They had to be putting some sort of energy through it—on Earth, it’s almost certain that the energy was in the form of electricity.

MASTER:

Are you talking about the portal? ~walks up to it again once the cords have left the Doctor alone, placing his hand on the edge of it curiously~

DOCTOR:

No; remember the data you brought back to the house in a satchel? It said something about us appearing when they tried to conduct electricity with something… or something like that.

MASTER:

Oh! Sorry, I’d nearly forgotten about that. Yes, that is a good question… maybe I can look into it. ~steps back from the portal, having been staring past it into the facility and speaking almost like he’s making a promise to himself~ after I finish showing you around.

DOCTOR:

Right. Where to next? ~briefly glances back the way they came, intending to follow the Master even if he does know which direction they’re going to move in~

MASTER:

~turns away from the portal and looks thoughtfully at the exit~ to the next floor, I suppose. ~walks toward the door to the cell, carefully making his way around the cords though they seem to be making it difficult for him to get through~ move, damn you…

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master, being more cautious of the cords though he knows that there’s no way of winning if they decide not to let them through~

MASTER:

~presses through, making it to the door though not without a bit of a struggle, looking back at the cords and the room with concern once he’s out~ what was that all about…

DOCTOR:

~emerges a few seconds later, disgruntled but unharmed~ no clue, but how much are you holding over her head? I mean as far as your deal goes, of course.

MASTER:

How much am I-? ~stops, looking at the ground in a mixture of confusion and worry, as if caught off guard by the question~ well I suppose, I could send the Toclafane after her subjects… she wouldn’t like that…

DOCTOR:

And how long do you think it would take Her to develop a way to stop them given access to everything you’ve given Her access to?

MASTER:

~walks to the cell door, pushing the stray cords back inside before closing the door and locking it, his voice slightly higher when he speaks~ it’s a mutually beneficial exchange. She lets two people go, then gains access to millions of sources she can gather data from. Indefinitely… ~speaks as if trying to convince someone, though it might as well be himself~

DOCTOR:

Every media source… on Earth, right? ~shakes his head slightly, his tone grim~ and how able to cut her off or shut those down are you from inside Aperture even _if_ they’re still valuable with the ever-shrinking human population?

MASTER:

~grits his teeth, whipping around and delivering a stinging blow to the side of the Doctor’s face~ what’s why I need someone _here,_ you idiot! Who are you to question what I’ve done for your sake?

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand to his face~ someone who’s made a deal with GLaDOS before and watched it go horribly wrong and is quite possibly simply paranoid but believes that the cords would need a reason to act strangely, Master.

MASTER:

~looks at the Doctor with a harsh, not necessarily disapproving, glare, explaining impatiently~ not strange; they’ve acted similarly before. These aren’t controlled by GLaDOS. Keeping that in mind, if I were you I’d try to refrain from making _assumptions_ in the _future._ ~grabs the Doctor’s collar, yanking him closer and staring him down angrily~

DOCTOR:

~swallows back another smart remark, letting his gaze drop from the Master submissively~ I’m sorry, Master… It won’t happen again.

MASTER:

Good. ~lets go of the Doctor’s collar with a small outward shove, his anger doused for the moment~ I’d appreciate if you had some faith in me, Doctor. I _have_ been at this for over a year, after all.

DOCTOR:

~steps back as his collar is released~ right… I suppose it’s still difficult for me to fathom how long it’s been.

MASTER:

~lets himself smile slightly, patting the Doctor’s shoulder a few times in reassurance~ I don’t blame you for it. Actually… I apologize for getting so angry over such a trifle. That was immature of me. ~straightens his suit jacket, then starts walking down the hall back the way they came~

DOCTOR:

~easily follows the Master back through the hallway~ it’s alright, you have enough to worry about without questioning the stability of a deal that’s worked for so long.

MASTER:

~heads back to the elevator without bothering to show any more of this floor~ thank you. I’m glad you understand. ~walks into the elevator, checking his watch~

DOCTOR:

~walks in after the Master, leaning against one of the elevator walls automatically and glancing over at the buttons for the different floors, doubting they have time for all of them but dismissing the concern~

MASTER:

~selects the next floor up, and the doors close as he lowers his arm~ I’ll have to prioritize showing you the things you’ll need to manage while I’m gone; I still want to arrive early.

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly~ alright, that makes sense. ~somewhat looking forward to seeing how this all runs~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator comes to a stop in what looks like an oval-shaped observation room, with the far wall being an outwardly curved window; a table with a few couches around it is positioned in the center of the room~

MASTER:

This is a sort of lounge, I suppose… the view will be much better once the terraforming is finished.

DOCTOR:

That’s usually the case with terraforming; I remember this one time- ~stops himself, remembering their time constraints~ well, I suppose now’s not the time for one of my stories.

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor with a sympathetic smile, then steps out into the room~ yes, probably not. This floor is quite important. ~walks to the right side of the room and heads through the sliding door into a hallway~

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master, his attention turned to the task at hand when the Master states the importance of this section~ how so?

MASTER:

Well, it’s got the surveillance room and the lab, and you can handle much of the communications and broadcasts from here. ~gestures to a room on their right, which has computers and other screens, most turned off~ down to the left is the lab, where I’ve been working on the genetic experiments.

DOCTOR:

~looks at the rooms as the Master talks about them, thinking aloud~ so basically what’s needed to make sure nothing suspicious is going on—plus the lab…

MASTER:

I suppose, if you’d like, you can go in there and take a look at what I’ve got so far… maybe you can even work on a few designs for weapons, ships, buildings and suchlike if you’re careful not to mess with what’s there. I’d gladly take them into consideration.

DOCTOR:

I very well might, at some point… especially when I get used to everything else. ~thinks about how he had ideas during the War that Rassilon disregarded as that of a peasant—a commoner under the High Council—he’d banish or kill Rassilon if he hadn’t already killed them all~

MASTER:

~smiles, approaching the Doctor and bringing an arm around his waist to start leading him at a leisurely pace back toward the elevator~ I’d very much like to rule the new Timelord Empire with you at my side. What do you think about that, dear?

DOCTOR:

I think I’d like that… I think I’d enjoy that very much, in fact. ~smiles—they could make a much better empire, the Master and him, and have fun while doing it too~


	12. Responsibility

MASTER:

~gives a small, malicious grin of victory as he stares straight ahead, his expression becoming more friendly when he turns his head to look at the Doctor~ oh, wonderful! You’ve been so good, Doctor; how about a little treat when I get back? ~approaching the elevator~

DOCTOR:

~grins happily~ yes, please, Master! ~steps into the elevator once they get to it, making sure to keep in mind the task at hand despite his excitement~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the doors close behind them~

MASTER:

~places his hands on the Doctor’s hips, facing him with a sly smile~ now now, don’t get overexcited. Remember, I doubt I’d be in the mood for any rewards if I come back and find my dictatorship in shambles. ~steps closer, one hand exploring a bit up the Doctor’s skirt, his voice lowering~ that being said, if I find exceptional work, expect me to respond in kind.

DOCTOR:

~stops himself from shuddering, nodding with a more serious expression though he can’t stop himself from smiling a little~ I will do my best, Master. ~finding himself surprised by the fact that he manages a steady tone~

MASTER:

I have full faith in that fact. ~meets the Doctor’s gaze with a smirk, licking his lips briefly as he gently feels down the Doctor’s inner thigh until he can easily move his hand away to select the next floor up~

DOCTOR:

~twitches, maintaining his composure otherwise though his mind is temporarily utterly scattered~

MASTER:

~steps back from the Doctor entirely and simply waits in the elevator beside him until it arrives on the main floor~ I suppose you’re relatively familiar with this floor… do we need to go over it?

DOCTOR:

~turns his focus back to the task at hand~ I don’t think so, unless there’s some obscure room I need to know about.

MASTER:

~chuckles, but doesn’t comment, simply selecting the next floor and punching in a number combination~ alright, looks like that’ll be all. I’ll bring us back to my room, get ready, then leave, and after that the operation will be in your hands.

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~thinks through what he has to do—watch for suspicious actions and keep the Toclafane at bay… unless there’s some disaster, it shouldn’t be _too_ difficult~ I won’t let you down.

MASTER:

~gestures to the last button above the room they’re headed to~ the top floor is the landing platform. And there were a few places on the other floors I skimmed over; you’re allowed to explore those while I’m gone. Only rules are—don’t enter locked rooms, and don’t take anything you might find. ~the elevator stops, and he steps out to quickly head up to his dresser and open a drawer~

DOCTOR:

~steps out but stays near the elevator~ understood. ~pauses before speaking in a more casual tone~ any specific time I should expect Alia back by?

MASTER:

~shakes his head slightly~ I’m not sure how long it will take. ~pulls a bright orange jumpsuit out of the drawer, tossing it onto the bed and reaching back in for an ID card attached to a lanyard, which he also tosses to the bed~ oh; and I’ll be gone for ten hours.

DOCTOR:

Okay. ~paces a little, still near the elevator~ do tell Kevin I said hey if he’s alive and if you see him… along with Jack and the TARDIS, of course, but I doubt you see them.

MASTER:

Rarely. ~closes the drawer, going over to the jumpsuit and exchanging it for his suit, putting the lanyard around his neck once he finishes changing~ I’ll see what I can do. ~gives the Doctor a small wink, as if indicating another meaning to his statement; he adjusts his clothing once more for the look of it and walks back up to the Doctor barefoot, his mood noticeably lifted~

DOCTOR:

~smiles as the Master approaches, though the Master’s excitement seems to be linked to going back to Aperture and that still sickens him to an extent~ thanks.

MASTER:

~walks past the Doctor, standing half-in-half-out of the elevator and quizzing the Doctor—double checking before he intends to leave~ rules?

DOCTOR:

Don’t change anything in the lab, don’t go into locked rooms, don’t make any large advances, don’t take anything I might find, and keep Alia updated.

MASTER:

Exactly. ~smiles proudly, stepping up to give the Doctor a brief kiss before backing into the elevator again~ I’ll see you in ten hours, hopefully. ~gives a small wave as the doors close~

DOCTOR:

~smiles more genuinely at that~ see you. ~waits until he figures the Master should be down and out to call the elevator back up~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator arrives empty~

DOCTOR:

~goes into the elevator and down to the surveillance-and-lab floor as he figures that that’s the most important thing to keep in check, going to the room with the monitors that show communications first~

ENVIRONMENT:

~surprisingly enough, now that the Master has supposedly left the Valiant seems much more populated; in the lounge the maid the Doctor saw earlier is cleaning, and someone in a labcoat casually walks through on their way to the lab~

MAID:

~looks up when the elevator arrives, snorting with laughter and immediately bringing a hand over her mouth when she sees the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~looks over at the maid, smirking as he understands why she has a hand over her mouth~ a little less funny when you know who I am, isn’t it? ~steps out of the elevator~ I’m not going to file any complaints, but what’s your name?

MAID:

~becomes slightly worried, nervously stepping back a bit and taking her hand away from her mouth to speak~ u-um, it’s Lucy; I’m so sorry about that I didn’t mean to…

DOCTOR:

~raises his hand slightly to indicate for Lucy to stop, his smirk shifting to a more friendly smile~ don’t worry about it, Lucy. I may be in command at the moment, but I’m not the Master and I’m not going to report such a minor thing.

LUCY:

~stops and relaxes somewhat, though she obviously still regards the Doctor as an authority figure~ so, he’s out again? ~takes a step forward to make up for her retaliation~ is there anything you’d like me to do? Sir?

DOCTOR:

No, ma’am. ~with that he goes to the hallway to go check on the monitors for communications~

ENVIRONMENT:

~in the room with the computers, there seem to be two sections; one part is like the dashboard of a security guard, with cameras in the Valiant—the other has two main computers that are both off and is surrounded by piles of unspecified technology, resulting in a rather large amount of wires. Next to those are a few expensive-looking video cameras in a corner with tripods and other filming materials~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the monitors that display the rest of the Valiant, not really expecting to see anything unusual but maybe a room or two he hasn’t seen yet~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a few of the monitors are off or the video feed is defective, though the others just show the servants milling about in different parts of the Valiant; a few rooms are unfamiliar, but their purposes can be assumed—the lab, the servants’ quarters, Tav and her paradox machine, a kitchen, a medical room, etc.~

DOCTOR:

~figures there’s no reason for him to sit and watch these—if there was, it would be someone’s job—and decides to go take a look at what’s in the lab~

ENVIRONMENT:

~it’s a bit of a walk to the lab, and someone walks up beside the Doctor on his way down the hall~

MAN:

~stops to ask politely~ where are you headed?

DOCTOR:

~stops to answer the person~ to the lab; why do you ask? ~turning to look at them as he speaks~

MAN:

~brings a hand to the back of his neck and chuckles a bit, almost nervous~ I was wondering if you wanted any help getting there; I’m on my way to the lab as well. Pardon my comment, but you don’t exactly look like you’ve been there before.

DOCTOR:

I haven’t yet, but I’m sure I can manage getting there on my own. ~figures that the man doesn’t know who he is by now, trying to remain polite~

MAN:

~drops his hand, starting to walk again~ alright… we’re headed the same way, though… might as well head down together. ~turns right at the door at the end of the hallway, peering back at the Doctor~ my name’s Oliver, by the way.

DOCTOR:

Nice to meet you, Oliver, I’m the Doctor. ~walks beside the Doctor as they go down the hall, wondering if he’ll even recognize the name~

OLIVER:

~looks at the Doctor in surprise~ Oh! Wait, you’re the Doctor? ~regains his composure, seeming slightly embarrassed~ I didn’t recognize you. Well, I guess that makes sense, as I haven’t seen you before…

DOCTOR:

~chuckles at the response~ I don’t really look the part at the moment, either; call it the Master’s form of a practical joke.

OLIVER:

~chuckles a little nervously, though he does seem to relax~ is that really all he gave you? ~speaks sympathetically as he comes up to a set of double doors on the left side of the hall~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a label on the wall next to the doors says ‘laboratory’~

DOCTOR:

I probably could have argued or refused but I am fully aware that he could have just as easily given me nothing. ~pauses at the doors as if to add something but decides not to~

OLIVER:

~opens one door, walking in~

ENVIRONMENT:

~it’s a long sterile-looking room with multiple counter islands perpendicular to the entrance, tools and technology strewn throughout~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~sits at the back counter along the wall, seeming to be reading something and looking up when Oliver enters~

DOCTOR:

~walks in after Oliver, not taking long to notice Dr. Holloway but not speaking to him, looking over what the Master has set up throughout the room~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~closes up the tome he was reading~

CREATURE:

~a small life-form scurries across the cover~

OLIVER:

~waves to him before going to get something from a cabinet~

ENVIRONMENT:

~on the tables are a few rolled up blueprints, microscopes, scraps of metal, test tubes filled with liquid, the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver, and a few illegibly labeled Petri dishes. To the far left of the room is a conglomerate of Timelord looms~

DOCTOR:

Hey, my sonic! ~his excitement quickly turns to disappointment as he remembers being specifically told not to take anything he might find, noticing the small creature~ I’d keep that out of sight if I were you, Dr. Holloway…

DR HOLLOWAY:

~he looks up again, furrowing his eyebrows in solemn understanding~ right. ~picks the creature up~

CREATURE:

~hugs his thumb~

OLIVER:

~looks over and asks~ what is it?

DOCTOR:

I’m curious as well, but if it’s at all useful, I can understand you not wanting the Master to know—that being said, it’s safe for the moment. ~wonders what the Master’s doing with his sonic—or maybe it’s a test of obedience to see whether or not he’ll take it… either way, it’s best to leave it be~

DR HOLLOWAY:

It’s just… I’m not exactly sure what it is, but we’ve been through- ~pauses~ a lot.

CREATURE:

~crawls up into Holloway’s breast pocket, speaking in a small somewhat nasally voice~ yeah, way to dumb it down, Doc.

DOCTOR:

Not very nice, is he? ~sounds more amused than angered~ either way I should go around the rest of the Valiant and make sure everything’s in order—God forbid something goes wrong and I don’t catch it on time. ~turns to leave the lab~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~sighs~ you do that.

OLIVER:

~hurries over to the Doctor, a few files under his arm~ hey, hope you don’t mind if I follow for a bit.

DOCTOR:

Not at all—I don’t prefer being alone anyway. ~walks out the doors to the lab, hoping there’s nothing he’s missing~

OLIVER:

~smiles cheerfully, following beside the Doctor~ so, what I’m getting is—you’re in charge now?

DOCTOR:

~nods as he walks back down the hall~ that’s right. Though I do wonder why… ~trails off thoughtfully as he realizes that he could completely overturn the operation, looking almost confused~

OLIVER:

~looks confused as well, peering over at the Doctor~ why what?

DOCTOR:

Why he put me in charge of this. He may care about me, but the decision doesn’t make strategic sense… and yet… ~shrugs, smiling oddly~ I don’t think I can go against him.

OLIVER:

~thinks over the Doctor’s statement thoroughly, eventually responding in a reserved, curious tone~ do you think he even considered that possibility?

DOCTOR:

It’s not like him not to… and I think he did; I think he did but he genuinely believes what I said—and I did mean what I said, but now I’m faced with a choice that makes my head spin with morals and loyalties and thoughts in general.

MASTER:

~there’s a small, gentle reminder in the Doctor’s mind that the Master knows about this mental conflict, and as a response he calms it down to the point where the Doctor should have no trouble putting it behind himself for the moment. Remaining a comforting presence, he also hints at the reward he offered earlier, metaphorically dangling it in front of the Doctor’s nose~

DOCTOR:

Right. ~speaks seemingly to no one, his attention once again fixed on the task at hand, even looking in front of himself rather than conversationally looking at Oliver~

OLIVER:

Huh? ~looks over at him in confusion for a moment, stopping at a door before they reach the turn into the lobby~ well, ah, nice chatting with you. Got to get going now.

DOCTOR:

See you around. ~sounds absently cheerful—like he knows he’s supposed to be happy but is too distracted, glancing briefly at the monitors as he passes the surveillance room~

ENVIRONMENT:

~nothing much has changed based on the surveillance cameras, except for a few Toclafane milling about on the main floor; the lounge is empty now~

DOCTOR:

~heads into the lounge and to the elevator—intending to go to the main floor, keep the Toclafane at bay, then go to some of the unknown floors~

ENVIRONMENT:  
~when the Doctor arrives on the main floor, there are three Toclafane there, all of which move to approach the Doctor~

TOCLAFANE1:

~has its spikes out and seems particularly agitated~

TOCLAFANE2:

*Where is the Master?* ~one of the two more calm ones speaks demandingly~

DOCTOR:

~responds calmly~ he’s not here and he won’t be for a little while. I do guarantee you, however, that he’ll be rather cross with you if you do anything without his word.

TOCLAFANE2:

*Master’s promised us an _hour_ ago, but he changed his mind!* ~it protests, whining like a child~ *It’s been a week and we’re all so excited to finish it off—it’ll be so much fun…*

TOCLAFANE1:

~the angry one comes forward, spinning threateningly~ *It was _you,_ wasn’t it? _You_ came and _you_ were more important!*

DOCTOR:

Well; if I _was_ what delayed the Master, I can be even more sure that he won’t do you any favors if you kill me. Either way, my orders to keep things the way they are come directly _from_ the Master.

TOCLAFANE:

~the other two back off at this~

TOCLAFANE1:

~the aggressive Toclafane continues to approach the Doctor, spikes spinning faster~ *Why should we trust you? Even if what you’re saying is true… what’s stopping us from hurting you, just a bit, hm?*

DOCTOR:

Well, I suppose that if you won’t believe what I say, there’s nothing stopping you. ~raises his arms as if asking to be attacked~ just know that, whatever action you take, there will be consequences.

TOCLAFANE1:

~it lunges forward and slices across the Doctor’s nose and cheek before it is coaxed back by the other two Toclafane, and it puts away its spikes with finality before all three of them dematerialize~

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand over his injury, mumbling to himself as he steps out of the elevator~ well, that could have gone worse. ~walks up to the large elevator, looking down at the Master’s work and reassuring himself that he’s doing the right thing~

MASTER:

~apologizes for the Toclafane’s misbehavior, promising that the outlash won’t go unpunished, as blood drips from the Doctor’s rather deep gash~

DOCTOR:

~responds in thanks, bringing his hand from his wound to see it, finding it’s rather bloody and decidedly going to wander about the halls until he finds a bathroom or a medical room, bringing his hand back to his face in an attempt to not get blood on anything~

MASTER:

~helps guide the Doctor to the nearest bathroom—which is a few doors down from Alia’s room—but does so absently, like he’s got some other preoccupation to focus on~

DOCTOR:

~goes to the bathroom the Master guides him to, understanding the Master’s absent tone and walking up to a sink in the bathroom to wash the blood off of his hands and face, using toilet paper and tape as a makeshift bandage as he figures there’s no reason to use real bandages when he knows he won’t bleed out from this~

MASTER:

~now has to devote his whole attention to something else, leaving the Doctor to do what he will~

DOCTOR:

~walks out of the bathroom, trying to decide what to do as he walks back to the main area, thinking he might just go back down and talk to Dr. Holloway or Oliver or someone else as he knows that if he spends enough time alone he’ll just end up talking to himself~

TOCLAFANE:

~one Toclafane hovers in the main room, not doing much of anything, and it turns to the Doctor when he enters~

DOCTOR:

~sighs when he sees the deadly orb~ I haven’t the foggiest idea which one you are, but hello there.

TOCLAFANE:

~when the Doctor speaks, it dematerializes without responding~

DOCTOR:

Not one for conversation, eh? ~walks to the elevator to go back down to the lounge area—he can watch for any issues and interact with humans rather than hot-headed death machines—though sometimes there’s not too much of a difference~

OLIVER:

~is waiting for the elevator when it arrives, smiling at the Doctor~ oh, hello Doctor- ~notices his bandage~ hey, did you get hurt?

DOCTOR:

~speaks as he leaves the elevator~ yeah, but I’m fine. Knowing the Toclafane, it could be a whole lot worse.

OLIVER:

Toclafane… they can be a real bother, especially when the Master’s not around. ~steps into the elevator, turning to wave to the Doctor~ I’m glad you’re okay, though. See you around.

DOCTOR:

~smiles and waves back~ see you. ~then turns to head to the surveillance room to make sure everything’s still in order—maybe then he’ll make a design for something as the Master suggested~

ENVIRONMENT:

~on the first floor, a suspiciously large group of six Toclafane materialize and head down the hallway, approaching the holding cells~

DOCTOR:

God, just what I need… ~sprints to the lab, to grab his screwdriver before running at full speed to the elevator to get down to the Toclafane~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when the elevator gets down to the first floor, a single Toclafane is waiting as if on guard in front of the doors~

TOCLAFANE:

~withdraws its spikes threateningly~

DOCTOR:

~raises his screwdriver at it~ you have no idea what you’re doing. ~uses the screwdriver at a frequency that should short out the Toclafane as he goes to run past it~

TOCLAFANE:

~it sheathes its spikes and drops to the ground, successfully powered down. By the holding cells, the other five are breaking into the room with the cords, slicing apart the ones that get in the way~

DOCTOR:

~points the sonic into the cell, using it to try to stop them as he uses the combination he saw the Master use on the lock panel, assuming the Toclafane just teleported in~

TOCLAFANE:

~some of them drop to the ground immediately, while the remaining three are continuing to get closer to the portal~

CORDS:

~move wildly as a result of both the sonic and the fact that they’re being chopped up, calming only slightly when the remaining Toclafane shut down, worryingly close to the portal~

DOCTOR:

~carefully walks into the cell, sonic off, hushing the cords as one would a child as he goes in to collect the deactivated Toclafane~ maybe I can do something to fix you guys after I’ve got this taken care of…

CORDS:

~their movements decrease, becoming slow, pained undulations at the Doctor’s words. They make way for him, avoiding the felled Toclafane almost fearfully~

DOCTOR:

~jogs over to pick up the Toclafane and bring them out of the cell~ I’ll be nearby if there’s any trouble, so don’t be quiet if anything goes wrong. ~closes the cell with his foot on his way out, heading to the sixth disarmed Toclafane~

TOCLAFANE:

~the last Toclafane seems to be recovering from deactivation, stirring as its lights blink back on~

DOCTOR:

~puts a foot on top of the Toclafane to pin it down, using his screwdriver and messing with it to find a frequency that actually breaks the sphere of doom, only hoping that it doesn’t explode or break his foot or both~

TOCLAFANE:

~struggles under the Doctor’s foot, unsheathing its spikes and trying to spin them, ending up stuck in the grated floor just before sparking and starting to smoke, its shell cracking open to show the grotesque face inside along with a puff of more smoke~

DOCTOR:

~lifts his foot off of the Toclafane~ thank you for not exploding. ~sets down the rest of the Toclafane, using the same frequency on them and wondering if he broke them or just opened them~

TOCLAFANE:

~not all of them open like the first one, more just spark and smoke, but the last one the Doctor tries to break sparks, then bursts into flame~

DOCTOR:

Well, seems broken enough, but I should put that out… ~looks around for a fire extinguisher, wondering why there’s no alarm as he did just set something on fire~

ENVIRONMENT:

~after a moment, there’s a disinterested beeping noise of an alarm, and sprinklers start raining down to put out the fire, drenching the Doctor as well~

DOCTOR:

~takes until his initial adrenaline has worn off to realize he broke the Master’s rules, pushing the six Toclafane to the side of the hallway before getting back into the elevator to go back to the lounge and make sure there aren’t any more catastrophes~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator takes a moment to arrive~

LUCY:

~when it does Lucy is there and she looks at the Doctor in surprise, blinking a few times at the sprinklers and broken Toclafane~ what’s going on?

DOCTOR:

These spherical monsters were trying to get into Aperture, and I had to stop them. One of them burst into flames in the process. ~flips the sonic up in the air, catching it easily with a smile~ I was just about to go check and make sure there’s nothing I’m missing.

LUCY:

~hesitantly steps out into the hallway~ yes, right, um… I suppose I’ll see to this, then. ~walks off into the hallway, head down against the falling water~

DOCTOR:

~takes the elevator back up to the lounge to check the surveillance room~

ENVIRONMENT:

~now, everything seems normal except for the mess the Doctor made on the first floor, which Lucy is currently cleaning up~

DOCTOR:

~relaxes, choosing now to mentally apologize to the Master for his disobedience as he heads back to the elevator so he can try to fix up the cords~

MASTER:

~at this the Master snaps to attention, realizing what the Doctor did now that he’s mentioned it and seeming angered at first, calming slightly at the Doctor’s apology only to grow mad again when he figures out that the Doctor killed six Toclafane, explaining sharply that he has a limited number of them and the Doctor should’ve known that~

DOCTOR:

~asks what he was _supposed_ to do when the Toclafane were so set on getting to Aperture and ready to kill to get to the Master, a little irritable as he knows that the Toclafane going on a killing spree would go against the Deal~

MASTER:

~stops, caught off-guard by the fact that they were trying to get to Aperture; hesitantly apologizes, assuring the Doctor that it’s alright—with such a valid reason, he’s willing to excuse both of the Doctor’s infractions—then thanking him~

DOCTOR:

~replies with a small “you’re welcome” along with thanks for the Master excusing his actions, stepping into the elevator that’s here by now to go back down to the engine room/first floor~

MASTER:

~excuses himself from the conversation~

ENVIRONMENT:

~on the first floor, the sprinklers have been stopped and another maid has joined Lucy in cleaning up the Toclafane, collecting them into a trash bag~

DOCTOR:

~speaks once he sees the maids still cleaning, sounding genuinely apologetic~ so, there’s nothing else exploding, sorry about the mess… I’d help out, but I have to take care of something in one of the holding cells and there’s still the rest of the ship to worry about…

MAID:

~the other woman turns to look at the Doctor, chuckling in reserved amusement~

LUCY:

~hastily speaks over her~ it’s fine, Doctor, this _is_ our job, after all.

DOCTOR:

~smiles as he responds~ thank you, Lucy. ~emphasizing her name slightly—just enough to get his irritation toward the other maid across—and striding easily down the hall to go to the holding cells~

CORDS:

~are mostly immobile now, some of their sliced ends sparking occasionally; when the Doctor approaches, they perk up slightly and act almost hopeful~

DOCTOR:

I told you all I’d come back to try to help. ~reopens the cell to walk in~ so who needs it first? I’ll get around to all of you, so those closest to dead should hold priority… ~acts as though he’s helping living things—and it feels like he is, the way the cords act~

CORDS:

~one of the intact cords lifts up another to present it to the Doctor; it’s been shortened rather considerably and what remains is mostly shredded to tattered bits, and leaking a clear sap-like substance~

DOCTOR:

~moves to the shortened and tattered cord, feeling a little odd about talking to the cords but doing so anyway~ alright, this’ll probably hurt, as a fair warning, but trust me… ~works with his sonic at a lower volume in order to only ‘treat’ things the sonic is touching, using the heat the sonic can make to carefully weld the cord back together~

CORD:

~it struggles weakly, being held mostly still by the others until the Doctor’s finished, and then it acts more normally and seems to have stopped leaking~

CORDS:

~the others swamp the Doctor all at once, though none of them look quite as bad as the cord the Doctor just welded~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at their eagerness~ alright, calm down. I can only do one at a time, but you’ll all get a chance, so who’s first? Or, second, I suppose.

MASTER:

Ooh, I’ll go first. ~offers somewhat sarcastically as he steps out of the portal, hands in the pockets of his lab coat, not looking particularly amused despite his lighthearted comment~

DOCTOR:

Oh hi, Master… ~knows he probably should have put the sonic away and gotten back to watching over things as usual~ I hope you don’t mind, I thought I’d fix these guys up a bit because the Toclafane tore them up…

MASTER:

~speaks absently as he walks past the Doctor~ sure. ~continues into the hallway, obviously focused on some other task that he’s not too enthusiastic about~

DOCTOR:

~relaxes back to his usual demeanor, turning his attention back to the cords as he figures the Master would tell him to do whatever’s so unentertaining if he could~

CORDS:

~try to follow after the Master, stopping when he goes out of sight and slithering back to pester the Doctor again~

DOCTOR:

~decidedly lifts one of the more damaged ones to work on as it’s clear they all want to be next and there are no more absolutely demolished ones~

~•~

MASTER:

~when the Doctor’s about halfway finished with the cords, he comes back into the room, a file and a book under his arm as he heads to the portal~

DOCTOR:

See you when you get back. ~waves slightly and glances up at the Master as he speaks before refocusing back on the remaining damaged cords~

MASTER:

~sighs lightly, stepping back through the portal and disappearing from sight without glancing at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~frowns at the Master’s behavior, able to shrug it off pretty well as he knows how quickly the other Timelord’s mood could change~

CORDS:

~continue to press the Doctor for assistance~

LUCY:

~when he’s close to finishing up with them Lucy comes to the doorway, warily standing back from the cords that venture toward her~ Doctor?

DOCTOR:

Yes, Lucy? ~looks up from the cord he’s working on, muttering to the cords that they should leave the poor maid be~

CORDS:

~at the Doctor’s words they retreat back into the room, acting like scolded children~

LUCY:

Thanks—I think Alia is back. There’s an aircraft about to land outside.

DOCTOR:

~nods, gesturing to the cord in his hand~ I’ll be right up after fixing this guy. ~finishes with what he was doing quickly but with equal caution before going to walk out of and close the cell~

CORDS:

~seem more content now, slithering across the door as if trying to gesture to the Doctor in thanks~

LUCY:

~steps back, nodding to the Doctor before heading off down the hallway, away from the elevator and past the holding cells~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the wires as he leaves them to go to the elevator to get to the landing platform~

ENVIRONMENT:

~on the landing platform, there’s a long runway and not many aircrafts, making the Doctor feel quite small; the weather isn’t that good either, with a strong wing and dark grey clouds overhead. A jet circles overhead, approaching the platform until it’s close enough to land, rolling down the runway until it comes to a stop~

DOCTOR:

~starts walking toward the jet, not knowing what sort of response he’ll get from Alia, considering what he’s wearing and the fact that he’s still damp~

ALIA:

~the hatch opens and Alia climbs out, dropping to the ground with a battered suitcase in one hand; she takes off her headset and tosses it into the jet, looking over at the Doctor and pinching the bridge of her nose in embarrassment~ what the hell, Dad?

DOCTOR:

~sighs slightly~ you can ask your Father—later, he’s out. I’m filling in for him while he’s gone.

ALIA:

~she closes the hatch and walks toward the Doctor, the fact that she’s got bloodstains on the sleeves of her jacket becoming noticeable when she gets close enough, speaking exasperatedly~ maybe you can try to keep this kind of thing to the bedroom from now on?

DOCTOR:

~gets indignantly flustered~ this wasn’t _my_ decision, A, and B- ~falters, his addition having been his usual “I would _never_ ” excuse but that would be a lie in this case~ well, it still wasn’t my choice.

ALIA:

~raises her eyebrows slightly~ was there going to be a B? ~walks past the Doctor, gesturing for him to follow as she heads to the elevator~ look; you’re disgraceful—as your daughter I feel the need to help the situation.

DOCTOR:

~follows hesitantly, a mixture of wary and proud—but what would the Master think? Speaks decidedly~ alright—and yes, there was, but it was a lie. Oh! There was an issue with the Toclafane—I’m supposed to keep you updated.

ALIA:

~glances back at the Doctor~ an issue? Of what kind? ~steps into the elevator, hefting the suitcase up under her arm~

DOCTOR:

~goes in after Alia, explaining~ they’re extremely impatient—hence the scratch on my face—and they tried to get into Aperture. They almost _did,_ but I stopped them with my sonic screwdriver—which I’m glad to have back.

ALIA:

~the doors close and she ponders over the buttons for a moment, eventually selecting the third and main floor~ I’m surprised Mr. High and Mighty would let you have it.

DOCTOR:

Well… he _didn’t_ , but it was sitting in the lab and I had to stop the Toclafane _somehow._ I’ve already reported it all to the Master and he’s not mad, given my motive.

ALIA:

~strides out after the elevator arrives, dropping the suitcase just long enough to remove her jacket, tossing it onto the table before picking the case up again~ come on. ~walks towards her room, though she passes it to get to the bathroom~

DOCTOR:

~follows Alia easily, figuring that with the six-sphere death toll the Toclafane will think twice before setting up another rebellion~

ALIA:

~pushes the Doctor into the bathroom, leaving a small space in the door for her to stick her head in~ now take that blasted thing off; you should probably take a shower while you’re at it. I’ll be back with a more decent set of clothes.

DOCTOR:

~speaks in an almost mockingly respectful tone~ yes, ma’am. ~though his underlying pride comes through in his tone~

ALIA:

~she closes the door and lets the Doctor have some privacy~

DOCTOR:

~takes off the maid outfit and carefully keeps what he’s doing from the Master, going to take a quick shower as he _hasn’t_ in over a year~

~•~

ALIA:

~there’s a knock on the door when the Doctor finishes his shower, and Alia opens the door just a crack, reaching out with a folded-up grey suit in her hand for the Doctor to take~

DOCTOR:

~takes the suit easily, a towel wrapped around him as he dries himself off~ thanks, Alia…

ALIA:

No problem. Now hurry up and get changed; these are precious moment we shan’t waste.

DOCTOR:

~finishes changing, stuffing the sonic into his pocket and leaving the maid’s outfit folded and on the ground~ if you’re suggesting we go all out against the Master, I’m afraid what you thik I think is askew—or maybe it’s what I _should_ think, but I’ve made my choice either way.

ALIA:

~opens the door wider once the Doctor’s decent, grimacing in disgust~ ugh, no; he just made me go and run all the errands as punishment for last time. I’m not doing _that_ again. ~reaches out and grabs the Doctor’s hand, eagerly pulling him down the hallway back toward the main area~ no—now we get to have _fun!_

DOCTOR:

~his more professional demeanor melts as he follows Alia, smiling~ so what are we going to do?

ALIA:

~lets go of the Doctor’s hand, running over and plopping into the chair at the end of the table and spinning around with a carefree smile~ who knows? We’re in charge! ~sticks her foot out to halt the chair, looking at the Doctor with a mischievous grin~ I know lots of things, actually.

DOCTOR:

I _do_ have to make sure the place doesn’t fall apart and that the Toclafane don’t go berserk again… ~shrugs his worries off, grinning back at Alia playfully~ what do you ‘know’, then?

ALIA:

Well, I’ve gone down to the surface before, plenty of times. It’s always interesting to either see what the humans are doing, maybe scare them if I’m feeling like it, or just look around for cool stuff to explore… ~looks thoughtful, developing a smirk~ but then there’s stuff around the Valiant; sometimes I prank the staff or mess with things the Master doesn’t care about, like where the Valiant’s course is. One time he came back and we were over the North Pole! ~laughs~

DOCTOR:

~he smiles at Alia’s descriptions, finding himself remembering the Master and him pulling harmless pranks on everyone on Gallifrey—or at least it seemed like everyone…~

ALIA:

~stands up, the trunk she was carrying no longer in her possession~ so, any preferences? I’m cool with if you come up with something completely different, too. Variety is nice.

DOCTOR:

~thinks for a short moment before stating~ well, it’s probably best to stay on the Valiant—I could show you some of the pranks we did back on Gallifrey—the ones we _can_ do on the Valiant, that is.

ALIA:

~looks eager~ sure, sounds fun! ~pouts slightly in mild disappointment~ but what’s wrong with leaving the Valiant?

DOCTOR:

I’ve tested the Master’s patience a bit already and he did heavily imply that he wants me to stay on board—also, I’m still worried about the Toclafane trying to get into Aperture.

ALIA:

~sighs, rolling her eyes slightly~ alright, I guess. ~glances down and to the side, muttering sourly~ wouldn’t want to make your precious Master mad…

DOCTOR:

~responds irritably~ if the Toclafane got into Aperture, it would go against the Master’s deal and we’d both be sucked back into it all.

ALIA:

~perks up with an idea~ oh, I know what to do. ~walks more toward the center of the room, clapping twice~

TOCLAFANE:

~as a response, two Toclafane materialize~

ALIA:

Checkup.

TOCLAFANE:

~they drift upwards, lifted by excitement~ *Really? Oh, thank you so much!*

DOCTOR:

What? ~looks at Alia almost accusingly as all he knows about the Toclafane is they’re part-human and enjoy mass murder~

ALIA:

~speaks reassuringly once they disappear~ It’s just to tide them over… the term’s the Master’s twist on patient rounds, like in a hospital, except they get to settle their bloodlust by finding rulebreakers to kill. ~turns to the Doctor~ they need the Master’s or my permission to go, though.

DOCTOR:

~chuckles at this~ funny how he’d use a medical term for it… I’d almost think it’s a way of saying they’re better dead—and maybe it is.

ALIA:

~brushes her hands against each other as if clapping chalk dust away~ perhaps. Anyway, I think this should be plenty to preoccupy them, and you won’t have to worry quite as much about them getting into Aperture. ~smiles cheerfully~ now let’s go! Who should we get first?

DOCTOR:

We have at least eight hours, so I’m not sure it matters who we start on, but what will we _do?_ ~thinks for a second~ where does the trash go here?

ALIA:

You were just talking about the sort of pranks you did back on Gallifrey… ~furrows her eyebrows in confusion at the Doctor’s question~ and what’s so important about the trash?

DOCTOR:

There was some tech I knew was thrown away, but—on second thought—it’s probably not salvageable. ~scratches his head in thought~ trying to think of a Gallifreyan prank we could do here… most of the ones I can think of at the moment are longer and more psychological…

ALIA:

~looks somewhat concerned at the psychological part~ none of them were particularly damaging… right?

CAT:

~a ginger cat strides into the room proudly, hopping up onto the table~

DOCTOR:

~looks over at the cat in confusion~ no—they were Ko—er—the Master’s ideas usually, but we didn’t hurt anyone… not then, anyway. So… what’s with the cat?

CAT:

~the feline slinks over toward the Doctor and Alia, then sits down and looks at the Doctor skeptically~

ALIA:

Oh—that’s Rani… ~follows the Doctor’s gaze, not paying much attention to the cat~ maybe the ones the Master suggested are too complicated for now. It’s hard to keep anything on this carrier a secret for long.

DOCTOR:

Hm… a bit odd… ~shakes his head slightly, looking over at Alia~ well what do you usually do?

ALIA:

It changes; last time I stuck a bunch of maid outfits in the Master’s- ~she stops, being interrupted~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a beeping alarm that sounds almost like a phone ringing~

RANI:

~is startled off of the table~

ALIA:

~lets out a heavy sigh of irritation~ here we go again.

DOCTOR:

Wait, what? ~seems startled~ A, what’s the alarm? B, you did _what_ with the maid’s outfits?

ALIA:

~looks over at the Doctor~ I suppose it’s actually your job this time around. ~gestures for him to follow as she walks toward the elevator without enthusiasm~ I stuck them in with the Master’s clothes. Why?

DOCTOR:

~goes into the elevator, part of him panicking from the alarm and part of him finding the irony hilarious, chuckling~ well what do ya know, they actually _were_ misplaced!

ALIA:

~glances over at him briefly~ oh sorry, is that why he made you wear one? ~she selects floor two, seeming to have an almost grudging attitude towards the alarm that’s still beeping. When she arrives on the deserted second floor she heads directly to the communications room~

ENVIRONMENT:

~one of the computers that’s normally off has an alert on it saying “incoming call”~

DOCTOR:

Yeah; good to know he was at least semi-genuinely looking for clothes that would fit me. ~looks at the monitor, quickly understanding and looking for a way to answer the call~ he didn’t tell me how to work this, though.

ALIA:

~walks over to stand behind the Doctor~ perhaps he didn’t think it would happen. ~shows the Doctor how to answer the call~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when he does the screen changes to a live feed of GLaDOS~

GLaDOS:

*Hello Doctor. I know you’re free and all, but would you mind doing me a favor?*

DOCTOR:

~his stomach churns purely at the sound of Her voice and he answers in a tone of absolute spite~ of course I’d mind doing anything for the likes of you. ~sighs~ that being said, what do you want?

GLaDOS:

*Don’t worry, I’m merely acting as an intermediary between you and your Master.* ~she looks down and to the side like she’s gesturing to what the camera can’t see~ *I need you to head to the lab and turn on the looms in the back. Also, bring a white panel to these exact coordinates:*

COMPUTER:

~a set of coordinates appears on the screen at the bottom~

GLaDOS:

~She hesitates a moment like she’s listening for something~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the coordinates, trying to think of where on Earth they are and committing the instructions to memory~ anything else? ~finds the coordinates are down on the surface, in the city currently below the Valiant~

GLaDOS:

*Yes. Alia can find the panels for you, and also, take the DNA samples on the counter furthest to the back of the lab and insert them into the looms.* ~focuses on the Doctor~ *Got all that?*

DOCTOR:

~nods, taking in the orders without protest now that they’re the Master’s~ go into the lab, turn on the looms, put in the DNA samples, get a white panel, and bring it to [recites the coordinates] exactly.

GLaDOS:

*Yes.* ~briefly glances off to the side again~ *That should be all. I appreciate your cooperation.*

DOCTOR:

Yeah, well, I’m not doing it for you so spare me your appreciation. ~waves, turning to leave the room a little bitterly~

COMPUTER:

~the call ends~

ALIA:

~looks up at the Doctor when he stands and asks with innocent curiosity~ is something wrong?

DOCTOR:

GLaDOS is a—not my favorite person between her running utter Hell and making it seem like the Master died and making him- ~shakes his head, turning to go to the lab~ nothing’s wrong.

ALIA:

~turns and follows the Doctor, letting out a small sigh as she closes the door behind her and walks with the Doctor to the lab~ it’s just how things are. I tried to do something about it, but that obviously didn’t work; now it’s better to just accept it, I guess.

DOCTOR:

Speaking of which, sorry I snapped at you earlier. ~glances briefly at Alia~ it was just because I don’t want you to be right. I’ve seen him when he doesn’t care before and I’m afraid of it happening again… because I do know he’s cared for us before.

ALIA:

~glances at the ground~ sorry to break it to you, but he’s damn good at playing pretend and I can’t even tell what he’s legitimaitely feeling half the time, if anything. ~murmurs with a hint of regret~ he’s insane.

DOCTOR:

~nods solemnly~ I know. We’ve been here before—except I had no trust nor power and Aperture wasn’t in the equation. He wasn’t always this way, though… I don’t know if you can remember the him that tried so hard to make things work—even locked himself away for your safety.

ALIA:

~sniffs quietly~ yeah, I can remember… ~takes a moment to think, as they approach the lab doors~ Wht was She letting you go by yourself at that point?

DOCTOR:

~his gaze drops to the floor~ I… took an offer I was presented with. ~pushes the doors open~ I’ll tell you on our way to the surface—could you get a white panel? I was told you know where they are.

ALIA:

~looks perplexed, then gives a hesitant nod~ alright… stay here, I’ll be back. ~turns to go, almost running into Oliver~

OLIVER:

~apologizes hastily for getting in the way~

DOCTOR:

~goes to turn on the looms, feeling a bit odd about the seemingly institutionalized use of the Timelord reproduction technology~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when the Doctor goes over to the looms, he catches a glimpse of something behind them—it looks almost like one of the subject pods found in Aperture though there’s too little visible to be sure~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head, trying not to assume what he’s thinking is correct because his Master wouldn’t create people in that way. Goes to get the DNA samples for the looms and put them in~

ENVIRONMENT:

~as the Doctor is working, out of the corner of his eye it’s very obvious that the hand of a small child has pressed up against the glass in the pod that’s visible through the space between looms~

DOCTOR:

Goddamnit, Master… ~tries to get through between the looms, having only done a few of the DNA samples so far~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the looms happen to be on wheels, making them easy to push aside; behind them is a pod where a young girl in an Aperture jumpsuit rests, looking almost peaceful—at first glance the Doctor’s reminded of Alia’s first regeneration, but then he realizes that this is, in fact, Heather~

DOCTOR:

So you were more similar than we thought, eh…? ~rests a hand on the glass, remembering dropping Heather off at the Ponds’ house and tearing up slightly~ it’s all fixed… ~leaves the pod, looking at the DNA samples in his hand and muttering to himself, closing his mind from the Master~ no more, though…

ALIA:

~comes back in as this is happening, dragging a panel behind her and looking at the Doctor in confusion~ no more what?

DOCTOR:

My morals may be screwed to Hell, but I know where Heather ends up and I draw the line at the institutionalized creation of Timelords that will just go _there_. ~turns the looms off~

ALIA:

Heather? ~notices the girl in the pod, taking a big whiff and dropping the panel in surprise~ she’s Timelord! Is that what the looms do—make Timelords?

ENVIRONMENT:

~suddenly the power goes out~

MASTER:

~the link’s not been broken, and the Master gives a little tisk tisk of disappointment, having figured out what happened~

DOCTOR:

Yes—you came from a loom… ~looks around at the darkness, asking the Master why the power went out as he seems to know~

MASTER:

~assuming a tone of deep regret and disappointment, explains that he would really rather not have had to use his backup plan—to shut/lock down the Valiant, as well as deactivate the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver; a little added feature of his~

ALIA:

I was…? ~sounds nervous, her voice coming from close to the floor~

DOCTOR:

~starts talking a mile a minute~ no, no, no… I mean yes, Alia, you were loomed—and so was I, a very long time ago. But that doesn’t matter at the moment… no guns, any sedatives? Probably not that we can get to. No sonic, we might not even be able to get out of this room…

ALIA:

~makes her way over to the Doctor in the darkness~ Dad! What the hell are you going on about?

MASTER:

~seems smug, telling the Doctor that he’ll be there soon to apprehend him~

DOCTOR:

~looks over at Alia~ the Master knows I disobeyed. This is the Master’s emergency lockdown, and we can’t leave this room unless he turns it off. I tried to close my mind to him, but I guess I can’t… It’s one thing for you to go against him, you’re our daughter, but I fear I’m dead or worse now.

ALIA:

~starts to look worried now, standing close to the Doctor and watching the door~ disobeyed? You didn’t do anything, really…

DOCTOR:

I stopped… I refused to set up the DNA samples in the looms. It was a direct order and I refused and now, if he comes in with a gun, it’s all over. One of the two of us will leave this room and you’ll be spared because you won’t choose a side. ~his last statement sounds more like an order than part of his fearful expectations~

ALIA:

~at this she clings to the Doctor’s waist almost desperately, the distress obvious in her voice~ I won’t let him kill you!

DOCTOR:

No, Alia, that’s how people die! You will not interfere with what happens, Alia, because if I die, you’re the only hope for this universe. ~continues in a softer tone~ too many people have died for me… I’ll try to win, but I can’t know how this will turn out.

ALIA:

~hesitantly lets go of the Doctor, tensing up when she hears the click of a door opening, and the Master’s voice~

MASTER:

Hello Alia, Doctor. Would you like a moment to explain yourself? ~the question is directed at the Doctor alone~


	13. Reality Check

DOCTOR:

~responds bitterly~ I think you know exactly what happened inside and outside of my mind; why waste my breath?

MASTER:

Oh, I don’t know _everything._ ~still sounding smug~ though I appreciate you thinking that highly of me. ~kicks the door closed, and the lights flicker back on to show the Master walking up to the Doctor with a pistol in one hand by his side and a chain wrapped around the other~

DOCTOR:

~takes a deep breath, his current situation no better than what he expected~ I know that some part of you still doesn’t want this… it doesn’t have to end in the same way it always has. We could both leave this, fight it all together, like we used to.

MASTER:

~smiles wanly, standing in front of the Doctor~ oh, it doesn’t have to end! ~attaches the chain to the Doctor’s collar, yanking him close and stepping forward to meet him; lets the echo of the firing of his gun into the Doctor’s abdomen fade before speaking again quietly into his ear~ hopefully the new you will be better at following directions.

DOCTOR:

~brings his hand to the bullet wound~ dammit… ~his hands glow with regeneration energy, only getting out one quick sentence before regenerating~ but I don’t want to go!

MASTER:

~quickly gets out of the way, heading over to stand in front of Alia and waiting until the Doctor’s changed, commenting casually~ well that was fast.

DOCTOR:

~a visibly younger form of the Doctor stands there, babbling on about having all of his appendages before looking confused and speaking at a barely coherent rate~ but no, wait, there was something wrong—besides the bullet, that’s un-wronged. ~looks at the Master~ it has to do with you; Master’s dead? No, that’s been dealt with. I’m wearing a collar? Nope, normal. Alia’s fine…

MASTER:

~takes a deep breath, letting it out in a pleased sigh~ ahh, refreshing. ~walks back up to the Doctor with a smile~ you had a bit of an issue, and I killed you for it. I won’t hesitate to do it again. ~twirls the pistol in his hand semi-threateningly~

DOCTOR:

Right. ~stands up straight with the awkwardness of a teenager but the posture of a soldier~ uh… what did I do, again?

MASTER:

~explains patiently~ you _disobeyed_ a direct order.

DOCTOR:

Oh. Sorry, Master. ~doesn’t really know what else to say, not knowing exactly what’s going on~

ALIA:

~hesitantly speaks up~ are you okay…?

MASTER:

~puts his head down and brings a hand to the Doctor’s back, leading him out into the hallway~ come now, you should rest after regenerating.

DOCTOR:

I’m fine, Alia. ~turns back to reassure her as she follows the Master, almost tripping over himself in the process~

MASTER:

~continues to walk the Doctor toward the elevator, decidedly reaching over to hold onto the chain-lead out of concern for the Doctor getting himself tangled up in it~ I’m afraid I can’t go back to Aperture after your disobedience; you’ve lost my trust. GLaDOS is letting me put off the rest of my visit until I’ve got you sorted.

DOCTOR:

~nods in understanding, slowly trying to piece things together~ well that’s… oddly understanding of her.

MASTER:

~walks into the elevator, letting go of the Doctor to select the floor for his room~ we _are_ business associates, she has to understand how my end functions.

DOCTOR:

~something clicks in the Doctor’s head and he whips around to punch the Master in the stomach and take his gun~

MASTER:

~fires the gun out of what seems like surprise but it only hits the elevator wall, backing up once the Doctor gets a hold of it and putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender~ hey, look, we can sort this out.

DOCTOR:

~keeps the gun’s safety off, pointing it at the Master’s head, tears welling up in his eyes~ you _had_ your chance! ~shoots the gun enough times to empty the clip into the Master’s head, just in case it’s not full~

MASTER:

~falls back into the wall behind him, the Doctor not leaving enough time between gunshots to see regeneration energy, if there was even going to be any to start with; slumps to the ground lifelessly, his blood splattered across the wall~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator arrives in the empty bedroom~

DOCTOR:

~kneels beside the Master, tears streaming down his face as he feels the Master’s mind leave and the link disintegrate. Drops the gun and cradles the Master’s body in his arms, sobbing over the familiar form of this Master~ I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry…

ALIA:

~comes up to the elevator doors and her breath catches in her throat at the sight of it all, barely managing to speak~ Daddy… how could you? ~her voice breaks from the sheer weight of accusation in her voice~

DOCTOR:

I-I had to! You know I had to—you were going to! ~doesn’t look over at Alia, shaking as he speaks~

ALIA:

~she comes over and kneels beside the Doctor, seeming completely calm now as she puts a hand reassuringly on the Doctor’s shoulder~ no, Doctor. You need to wake up.

DOCTOR:

What? ~looks at Alia in surprise, not letting go of the Master’s body as he tries to make sense of Alia’s statement~ you mean, I’m still… ~tries mentally to wake up~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when the Doctor looks over at Alia he’s instead faced with GLaDOS herself as the realistic environment lets itself collapse~

GLaDOS:

*Yes, I think this has gone on long enough. What do you think?*

DOCTOR:

~stands up and faces GLaDOS, for once actually glad to see Her~ Yes—please, let me wake up! For real this time.

GLaDOS:

~she tilts her head slightly~ *As you wish.*

ENVIRONMENT:

~and he starts awake, coming to in a bit of a daze—he’s lying in a double bed, someone’s arm is around him, wearing a bright orange sleeve, and it’s dark outside—but that’s all he notices initially~

DOCTOR:

~blinks his eyes open, shuddering slightly in memory of bits and pieces of his dream. Speaks drowsily once he sees the arm of someone who’s clearly a test subject~ Master…?

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s no reply, except for a subtle shifting from the person beside the Doctor—the Master seems to be in a troubled sleep, his hold around the Doctor firm~

DOCTOR:

~gently brings his hand over the Master’s, smiling and speaking softly~ wake up, Master… I’m back.

MASTER:

~drowsily blinks his eyes open, seeing the Doctor’s moved hand and sitting up suddenly out of surprise~ Doctor?

DOCTOR:

~smiles up at the Master~ yeah… ~sits up to hug the Master, partially just trying to convince himself that he’s really finally awake and the Master’s really alive~ how long was I out?

MASTER:

~brings his arms around the Doctor with great relief~ only about four days… I did get you to open your eyes once, after one day.

DOCTOR:

Oh thank God… ~relaxes in the Master’s arms, silent for a moment before asking~ how is everyone? ~knowing whatever’s happening can’t be worse than the dream~

MASTER:

~backs slightly to meet the Doctor’s gaze with a cheerful grin~ we’re home, Doctor.

DOCTOR:

~glances around himself, having not fully taken in his surroundings in his daze, returning the Master’s grin~ and here I was just glad you’re alive and we’re not aboard the Valiant.

MASTER:

~loses his grin immediately and looks concerned~ the Valiant? What about the Valiant?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head~ a long, horrendous nightmare—yes, you were there, but what happened doesn’t matter because it _didn’t._ ~is shaking slightly as he remembers the worst bits of the dream though he tries to keep his calm~

MASTER:

~notices the Doctor’s suppressed distress, brushing a hand against his cheek comfortingly~ hey, it’s okay. We’re all okay.

DOCTOR:

~relaxes a bit at the Master’s words~ I know… I just… ~sighs, explaining~ In one dream, I watched Gallifrey fall with you and Alia on it along with everyone else. In the other, on the Valiant, I had to kill you.

MASTER:

~draws the Doctor into another hug~ hey, shh. It was just a dream. ~pushes the Doctor back again after a moment~ you haven’t seen Alia yet, have you? GLaDOS made her regenerate a while back.

DOCTOR:

~calms down, answering~ I know she regenerated but no, I haven’t seen her yet—not in reality, anyway.

MASTER:

She’s in her room… ~glances up at the camera in the corner of the room before looking at the door~ we’ve sort of assumed a sleep schedule, as you probably guessed at least to some degree.

DOCTOR:

It’s probably better that way anyway—or at least healthier. Would it mess things up if I just went over to say hi?

MASTER:

No, I bet she’d love to see you. ~smiles sadly~ she’s been asking about you every second of the day since we were allowed in here.

DOCTOR:

Alright then. ~smiles back, climbing out of the bed to head out of the room~ I’ll be back, unless you’re coming with.

MASTER:

Have fun then, ~smiles genuinely and crawls back into the bed with a small wave~

DOCTOR:

~leaves the room, not quite closing the door behind him as he fully intends to head back, walking over into Alia’s room to speak in a soft tone~ hey, Alia… wake up, Dad’s back.

ALIA:

~stirs and sits up, pushing aside her light brown hair and blinking at the Doctor with bright green eyes, her features round and innocent~ Daddy? ~jumps out of bed and runs up to him with a bright grin, colliding with him and wrapping her arms around his waist as she’s somewhat taller than before~ Daddy!! You’re awake!

DOCTOR:

~slides his arms underneath Alia’s, lifting her up in a hug~ you bet I am! Couldn’t bear to miss another minute I could be spending with you all! ~grins happily, relieved by Alia’s returned youth~

ALIA:

~giggles happily, wrapping her arms around the Doctor’s neck and latching onto his waist with her legs~ you missed _so_ much! ~rests her head on the Doctor’s shoulder contentedly~ GLaDOS is being nice now…

DOCTOR:

~grits his teeth and forces a cheerful tone~ is She now? Well isn’t that a miracle and a half; what happened!?

ALIA:

~chuckles~ she’s letting us stay home! ~sounds like she’s pointing out the obvious, which she kind of is~

DOCTOR:

Well I noticed that, silly. ~lifts an arm to ruffle Alia’s hair playfully, figuring he’ll get real answers from the Master if he wants them~

ALIA:

~laughs warmly, playfully getting back at the Doctor and ruffling his hair too~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles at Alia’s response, walking over to set her back down on her bed~ Alright, alright; I don’t want to keep you up _all_ night.

ALIA:

~she makes a brief complaining whine, realizing the bed’s pretty comfortable and snuggling back under the covers~ okay. ~yawns~ goodnight, Daddy.

DOCTOR:

Goodnight, Alia, I’ll see you in the morning. ~turns to leave Alia’s room and quietly return to the Master—at least as quiet as he can get~

ALIA:

See you… ~she gets back to sleep, smiling happily~

MASTER:

~in the other room the Master is curled up again as well, not being disturbed by the Doctor as his attempts at being quiet succeed for the most part~

DOCTOR:

~gets into bed next to the Master, closing his eyes to will himself into a real sleep not forced by some injection~

MASTER:

~brings his arm around the Doctor’s waist again, almost as if it’s out of habit~

~•~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when the Doctor does get to sleep and wakes again in the morning, Alia is climbing up on top of him~

ALIA:

Come on Daddy, get up, get up!

ENVIRONMENT:

~it seems to be morning, and the Master isn’t in the bed, instead there’s the smell of something cooking in the air~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles happily at the energetic awakening~ I’m up, I’m up! ~sits up with a mildly drowsy smile, looking at Alia and figuring he’ll be introduced to the schedule today~

ALIA:

~she bounces up and down on the bed to vent some energy before hopping down onto the floor, ready to bolt out the door~ come on, let’s go; I’m hungry!

DOCTOR:

Alright, I’m coming, you go on ahead. ~crawls out of bed to walk out of the room and down the stairs~

ALIA:

~she eagerly bounds ahead, jumping down the last portion of the stairs to head into the kitchen~

MASTER:

~has prepared a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs~ good morning, Alia. Did you wake your father up?

DOCTOR:

Right here! ~calls in response as he goes down the stairs, his hair a bit more ridiculous than usual between having slept for four days then having his hair ruffled~

ALIA:

~sits herself down at the small kitchen table and reaches for the food~

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor, noticing his more messy hair but not commenting as it’s pretty much normal~ seems her mission was successful. ~walks over to the Doctor and gives him a brief kiss~

ALIA:

~sticks her tongue out in disgust~ bleh.

DOCTOR:

~kisses the Master back, chuckling at Alia’s response~ looks like you’ve gotten acclimated to life on Earth—meanwhile, when’s the last time I had a proper breakfast?

MASTER:

~looks like he almost takes offense to the statement~ acclimated? ~scoffs~ I simply know how to cook. ~walks back over to the table, glancing back and gesturing at the Doctor with his spatula~ but don’t expect me to go prepare meals for you like some housewife.

DOCTOR:

~laughs, walking over with his hands up slightly as if in surrender~ alright, I was simply commenting on the fact that there’s some actual structure to things.

MASTER:

~sets the spatula down and grabs one of the plates on the table~

ALIA:

~serves herself some food~

MASTER:

Wasn’t this what we were going for when we got the house? ~pushes a plate towards the Doctor as he takes some for himself~

DOCTOR:

~shrugs and takes the plate to serve himself food, sitting down at the table and forcing himself to eat at a moderate pace though the second he starts eating he realizes how long it’s been since he last ate~

MASTER:

~chuckles, sensing the Doctor’s hunger through their link as he sits down to start eating~ it’s really generous of Her to let us have all this… I wouldn’t be surprised if all She wants to do is make a sitcom out of it, though.

DOCTOR:

~laughs a little at that, speaking between bites~ She always _did_ like a good show. Either way, I’m not complaining.

MASTER:

~looks off to the side in wistful thought at the Doctor’s comment, ignoring when Alia speaks with her mouth full~

ALIA:

Me neither! I like home.

DOCTOR:

I think She can monitor dreams as well—maybe even control them to an extent… ~eats a bit more of his food before explaining~ She seemed to be what woke me up—I mean, I saw Her, and She said she thought “it” had gone on long enough.

MASTER:

~pushes around bits of egg on his plate as he stares at the table blankly~ unlikely…. Controlling others’ dreams is something very few creatures in this universe have the ability to do… or machines, in this case.

DOCTOR:

~shrugs~ and translating Gallifreyan falls into that category as well—near literally impossible, yet She’s tried; Along with telepathy without physical contact in a place other than the TARDIS, creating Timelords without looms, and being a fully functioning AI with thoughts and feelings despite being how She acts. I’m only saying it’s possible.

ALIA:

~bounds out of her chair and goes to leave~

MASTER:

~sternly calls her back~ Alia, clear your plate.

ALIA:

~she mumbles but totters back over to quickly scoop up her dishes and dump them in the sink before running off to go upstairs~

DOCTOR:

~eats until there’s not a morsel of food left on his plate, glancing at what’s left that no one took but knowing that he could easily overdo it with how little he normally eats, looking at his now empty plate thoughtfully~

MASTER:

~pushes his half-eaten breakfast aside and takes the serving dish to store it away, speaking playfully as he works~ you too, Doctor.

DOCTOR:

Hm? Oh. ~picks up his plate (and fork) and brings it to the sink absently~

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor in mild concern~ is something bothering you?

DOCTOR:

Not really, I was just thinking about the stream of seemingly improbably events that led to this—I mean, we were pulled into Aperture by some stone and that ultimately led to this.

MASTER:

At least we weren’t pulled into the Time War, eh? ~takes his own plate and puts it in the sink as well, observing the cleared table with satisfaction~

DOCTOR:

~stops himself from shuddering at the thought~ Yeah—I’ll admit Aperture’s a less brutal Hell, even at its worst.

MASTER:

~walks over into the small living room, sitting on the couch with a sigh~ Nevertheless…. Despite the comfortable living I have no idea what She intends for us to do with ourselves.

DOCTOR:

Is it really worth worrying about, though? ~goes to sit next to the Master finding it slightly ironic that he’s the one saying not to worry~ no matter what we do, chances are She has things Her way. Might as well enjoy what we have while we have it.

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor with an amused smile~ I’m not sure whether you’re being pessimistic or optimistic anymore.

ALIA:

~there’s a pounding of footsteps heading down the stairs as Alia returns and frolics into the room~

DOCTOR:

Me neither, honestly. ~shrugs~ it was _meant_ to be comforting, but take it whichever way you’d like.

ALIA:

~bounds over to the Doctor with a beaming smile~ Daddy, look! ~presents a colored drawing to him—a little too close to his face—of similar nature to the one he drew to show her Gallifrey, except there are three people (one smaller than the other two) standing on the hill together~

DOCTOR:

~reaches up to try and bring the picture to where his eyes can focus on it, a genuine smile spreading across his face once he can really see it~ It’s beautiful, Alia….

ALIA:

~lets the Doctor take hold of the picture, diving past it to wrap her arms around the Doctor’s neck in an enthusiastic hug~ it’s for you! ~nuzzles his shoulder affectionately~

DOCTOR:

Thank you… ~hugs Alia back, on the verge of tears as he knows that they can never go back but keeping the thought from Alia~ I love it.

MASTER:

~smiles and comments playfully~ what, nothing for me?

ALIA:

~looks over and lets the Doctor go, crawling across him to sit between her parents~ you’ve been awake, silly! ~she responds with a giggle~

DOCTOR:

~lifts the picture so the Master can see it, still smiling despite the simultaneous sadness~

MASTER:

~looks at the picture with understanding, then looks to Alia as he speaks softly~ that was awfully sweet of you, Alia.

ALIA:

~she glances between the Master and the Doctor with worry, eventually looking back at the Doctor and asking in distress~ did I make you sad?

DOCTOR:

~sets the picture aside to wrap his arms around Alia~ no… we’ll always miss Gallifrey, but you making and giving me a drawing like that makes me very happy, Alia.

ALIA:

Okay. You’re welcome! ~she grins and hugs the Doctor back happily~

MASTER:

~gives a small sigh, resting his head on the back of the couch and looking at the ceiling with a mildly troubled expression~

DOCTOR:

~mentally asks the Master what’s on his mind, keeping the interaction from Alia as they hug~

MASTER:

~seems confused for a brief moment by the mental activity before responding timidly that it’s about his addiction, which he’d rather not act upon~

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly in understanding, letting go of Alia and telling the Master that he’ll only do anything related to that if the Master wants him to with an undertone of apology for last time~

MASTER:

~shakes his head a little, saying that he probably would’ve had a heart attack then if the Doctor had just let things play out, and he was lucky the last incident occurred while he was in Dr. Holloway’s medical room and could be kept from that sort of thing~

DOCTOR:

~responds to that by stating that he could try to treat the worse symptoms of withdrawal that tend to lead to heart-attacks, blacking out, etc if they have any access to the TARDIS~

MASTER:

~asks with curiosity what the Doctor thinks he could do to help that~

ALIA:

Is something wrong? ~asks aloud, looking between the Doctor and the Master and noticing some sort of communication~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at Alia~ Nothing you have to worry about. ~responds that—while addiction is mental—the symptoms of withdrawal are almost all physical. So, if he’s about to have a heart-attack, his withdrawal affects his heart rate and there are plenty of medications that can change one’s heart rate, counteracting that symptom~

MASTER:

~smiles slightly, though he knows that’s completely out of the question because they have no access to any TARDIS—they’ve both been disassembled~

DOCTOR:

~asks how they got here, then, a little more than disgruntled at the thought of Her doing anything to his TARDIS~

MASTER:

~explains that the TARDIS had been flown over to set up a portal before being brought back to Aperture and taken apart, a day or so before they were put under house arrest~

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly, asking if GLaDOS wouldn’t let him leave to commit a brief felony in a half-joking, half-serious tone~

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor in surprise, then looks thoughtful, eventually concluding that stepping out for a little bit shouldn’t be of too much consequence, as long as She’s informed~

DOCTOR:

~gives an “alright, if theft will keep you alive, then it’s a theft that I shall commit,” asking what time it is to determine whether to expect the drug store to be open or not~

MASTER:

~gestures to the analog clock on the wall, and states that it’s a little after 9 o’clock in the morning~

DOCTOR:

Alrighty then. ~stands up, walking up to the nearest surveillance camera and speaking to it in casual bitterness~ hey, chhke, mind if I walk out? I’ll be back, of course, won’t even bring the other two.

GLaDOS:

~the small speaker which she replies through makes her voice seem comfortably far away~ *What, are you popping out for a stroll? I’ll have to say no.*

MASTER:

~stands up as well, walking up behind the Doctor~ he’s not going to do anything that gives us an unnecessary advantage. Here, I can make him take a recorder with him so you can document it. ~he walks into the kitchen, opening one of the drawers~

DOCTOR:

~continues to speak to GLaDOS as he waits for the Master to get a ‘recorder’~ It would be stupid of me to do anything against you right now anyway, all things considered.

MASTER:

~returns with a small tape recorder, showing it to the camera with an “I told you so” expression before handing it to the Doctor and waiting for GLaDOS to speak~

GLaDOS:

*Alright, fine. You’d better be back in fifteen minutes.*

DOCTOR:

~is worried for a second about the time constraint before nodding with determination~ no problem. ~waves at Alia and the Master briefly before turning to head out and turn the recorder on~

ALIA:

~is a bit panicky since she doesn’t understand why the Doctor’s leaving~

MASTER:

~reassures her with a vague explanation of where he’s going before the Doctor leaves~

DOCTOR:

~strides randomly to the first person he sees~ excuse me, miss? Do you know where the nearest drug store is?

WOMAN:

~she pauses and looks up at the Doctor, taking a brief moment to think~ um, it’s four blocks straight down the road, sir. ~glances behind her to indicate which direction~

DOCTOR:

~nods with a friendly smile~ thank you, ma’am. ~starts to go in the indicated direction at a near-run, slowing down slightly after two blocks briefly to run into and subtly pickpocket a man for his wallet, then keep running, careful to choose someone in a crowd he can weave through~

MAN:

Hey, watch it, will you? ~the man calls after the Doctor testily, turning and continuing to walk the way he was going without noticing the lack of his wallet~

DOCTOR:

~runs up to the drug store, transitioning to a brisk walk as he enters, just sniffing out the medicine aisle as it’s easier than asking. Looks for any actual heart medicine, as that would be idea, though he knows alternatives that should be here~

PEOPLE:

~the cashiers and shoppers give him confused looks when he walks in~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the stuff in the medicine aisle is over-the-counter and not entirely ideal—though in the back is a pharmacy window~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, going to the pharmacy window and figuring he should try it~ hello? I need beta-adrenergic blocking agents, please.

MAN:

~the man behind the counter looks perplexed for a moment, asking~ do you have a prescription from a doctor?

DOCTOR:

I _am_ a doctor, and my friend’s going to have a heart attack if I don’t get them. ~starts to look exceedingly worried, knowing it might be difficult to do this without documentation, glancing briefly at the clock, then remembering the forged documents—most landlords want to know you can pay what you say you will~ I recently moved into the place four blocks down that way ~gestures in the direction he means~ #146, I’m the Doctor, I live with the Master and Alia and I am a certified doctor—had my name changed from John Smith.

MAN:

~steps back from the counter, giving the Doctor a sympathetic look~ alright, I’ll need about fifteen minutes to verify the documents. Can you wait until then?

DOCTOR:

~grits his teeth, knowing that he’ll be a little over GLaDOS’ time if he says yes~ I’m on a bit of a time constraint, but if that’s what it’ll take to get them I don’t have another option, so yes.

MAN:

Alright. ~gives a small smile and gestures to a set of chairs to the side~ I’ll try to be as efficient as possible. ~walks off into the pharmacy~

DOCTOR:

~nods and walks over to sit in a chair, twiddling his thumbs as he doesn’t have much else to do~

~•~

MAN:

~comes back to the counter at the point where the Doctor’s about four minutes over his time limit, according to the clock~ Doctor, I’ve got them ready. You can pay at the front. ~pushes a paper bag onto the counter with a slip attached to it~

DOCTOR:

~strides over to grab it~ thank you. ~goes to the counter at the same brisk pace to buy the beta blockers, checking how much they are then taking out and opening the robbed man’s wallet for the money~

CASHIER:

~smiles in amusement~ well you’re certainly in a rush, sir. What’s so important? ~takes the slip of paper attached to the bag to scan it~

DOCTOR:

My family not dying. ~takes out the necessary money to set on the desk, going a little over~ keep the change. ~picks up the bag after it’s been scanned to practically run out of there, breaking into a sprint the second he’s out~

MASTER:

~asks with concern if the Doctor got held up by something, knowing it’s past GLaDOS’ deadline~

DOCTOR:

~responds that he knows and did get held up but he has the meds and he’s on his way back, dropping the stolen wallet after two blocks so it looks like the man had just dropped it~

MASTER:

~replies with gentle encouragement, worried that GLaDOS will decide to punish them in some way for not following her rules~

DOCTOR:

~fully understands and reciprocates the worry, almost running into the door when he gets to the house, opening it and coming inside~ I’m back! Yes, I know, I’m late but I got the stuff; goddamned pharmacy needed more than my word to hand me prescription drugs—luckily, I’m a doctor and gave the credentials to Ms. Kingsley.

MASTER:

~is seated at the table with his head in his arms, looking a little under the weather but not asleep as he shifts his gaze to look over at the Doctor~ that’s good…

ALIA:

~peers at the Doctor in concern from the living room~ did you get the medicine, Daddy?

DOCTOR:

Yup! ~walks over to set the bag on the table next to the Master~ but don’t take more than one at once—a heart attack’s better than a stopped heart or two.

MASTER:

Isn’t that what a heart attack is? ~asks weakly, his face pale from mild neurogenic shock as he stares at the bag with his eyes half-closed~

DOCTOR:

Not necessarily—a heart can keep beating after a heart-attack, a stopped heart doesn’t naturally keep beating. ~frowns at the Master’s current state~ sorry I couldn’t be faster; can’t exactly say the robotic form of the Devil’s holding us hostage.

MASTER:

~shudders, then coughs up some phlegm, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and croaking~ could you bring me the bin?

DOCTOR:

~nods, quickly gabbing the rubbish bin and bringing it over to the Master, feeling a bit guilty for not sticking to the time constraint—he should’ve come up with a way that he wouldn’t have to wait~

MASTER:

~brings the bin onto his lap, sticking his face in and vomiting~

ALIA:

~comes over to the Doctor and clings to his arm, looking at the Master with considerable worry~ what’s wrong with Father?

DOCTOR:

~gives Alia a reassuring glance~ he’ll be alright, he’s just sick. ~mentally asks the Master if he wants/needs anything else, clearly concerned as well~

MASTER:

~licks his lips and shakily shakes his head no, coughing and spluttering a bit more before looking up again~

ALIA:

~warily steps toward the medicine bag~ the medicine should make him better though, right?

DOCTOR:

That’s right, Alia. ~looks down at Alia with a faint, forced smile~ why don’t you and I go up to your room and play a game?

ALIA:

~looks at the Doctor in protest for a moment, glancing back at the bag before walking over to the Doctor hesitantly~ okay, I suppose…

DOCTOR:

~leads Alia upstairs into her room~ so, what do you want to play? Got any cards, or… I could always tell a story, I have loads of those.

ALIA:

~sits down on the floor of her room cross-legged, which is strewn with crayons and papers, and rocks back and forth a bit in thought before looking up at the Doctor in distress~ could you tell me what’s wrong with Father? It’s… this has happened before and I’m worried. What if he doesn’t get better?

DOCTOR:

~smiles softly in understanding, sitting down on the floor facing Alia~ most of that’s his story to tell, not mine, but I can tell you he’s really trying to get better. He hasn’t told you yet because he doesn’t want you upset or worried.

ALIA:

~looks at the floor sadly, pinching the carpet~ okay… he’ll be alright, though, right?

DOCTOR:

Yes, Alia. ~adds in a more joking tone~ he’s the Master, I couldn’t get rid of him if I wanted to.

ALIA:

~smiles, then laughs cheerfully, standing to come over and give the Doctor a hug~ thanks, Daddy.

DOCTOR:

~hugs Alia back, smiling~ no problem. ~backs off again after a moment, asking~ now, what do you want to do?

ALIA:

~reassured, she gets up and circles the room thoughtfully, pouncing on her bedside table and opening the top drawer to find a random book which she dismisses as boring; then she looks in the bottom drawer and pulls out a stack of lined paper and two six-sided dice~

DOCTOR:

~gets up to see what Alia has gotten out, getting an idea of what they could do but then realizing something~ d’you know how to write, Alia?

ALIA:

Hm? ~looks at the Doctor in confusion, setting the paper and dice on the floor~

DOCTOR:

You know—reading and writing? Kind of like learning your numbers except it’s putting down symbols for words instead.

ALIA:

~crouches down onto the floor along with them~ I tried but I can’t do it that good.

DOCTOR:

No one’s good when they start, Alia. My parents were convinced that I’d never graduate or accomplish much of anything with the grades I got at the Academy, but look at me now.

ALIA:

~tilts her head and looks at the Doctor up and down inquiringly, seeming confused~ okay,

DOCTOR:

My point being, reading and writing can be an important way to portray and receive information. I keep reminders written on sticky notes all over the TARDIS—but those are in Gallifreyan.

ALIA:

~leans forward in interest~ what’s Gallifreyan? Is that something from Gallifrey?

DOCTOR:

Well, that’d actually be the definition, but I mean the language of the Timelords—most peoples have their own language. The Master and I have generally spoken in Human English just because it’s easily translated and Gallifreyan is near impossible to translate.

ALIA:

~her eyes widen in awe and she leans forward more, placing her hands on the floor for support~ can you teach me Gallifreyan?

DOCTOR:

~hesitates slightly, then remembers that pretty much every Timelord was multi-lingual~ I can teach you it, but it’ll be difficult as a good portion of it doesn’t properly translate to English.

ALIA:

~gives the Doctor a determined, insistent look~ I can do it! ~her expression softens and she looks down at the paper curiously~ would I learn how to write it, too?

DOCTOR:

~smiles warmly and nods~ I’ll teach you anything you want to know as long as I know it.

ALIA:

~excitedly pushes the papers towards the Doctor along with the dice and a few crayons~ alright, go on!

DOCTOR:

~starts sketching out the elaborate circles of Gallifreyan~ alright, so your full name would be Alia Sigma—everyone learns how to write their name first, so I figure it’s a good place to start.

ALIA:

~watches the Doctor’s strokes diligently, picking up a crayon for herself and trying her best to copy what he wrote down—she manages most of it correctly, but she misplaces one of the circles and it changes the meaning~ how’s that?

DOCTR:

~smiles as he looks over Alia’s work~ almost. ~reaches over to correct it with a different colored crayon~ that circle goes… there. Not bad at all, especially for a first try, though!

ALIA:

~looks a little disappointed at first, but perks up again at the Doctor’s praise~ okay! I guess I need practice. ~gets back to writing, drawing the name a few more times and getting increasingly better with each one~

DOCTOR:

{That’s the-} whoops, slipped into it for a second—that’s the spirit! ~smiles with pride~

ALIA:

~pauses and repeats the bit that the Doctor said in Gallifreyan, seeing how it feels on her tongue before looking up at the Doctor~ what’s that one mean?

DOCTOR:

“That’s the” as it would be used before “spirit”. The full sentence would be {That’s the spirit!} ~begins to write the sentence out on paper~

ALIA:

~repeats the full sentence again a few times until she’s confident with it, then watches the Doctor while he’s writing, her face contorting into a grimace~ Daddy, how does _anybody_ understand your writing?

DOCTOR:

~laughs at that~ because it’s complicated or my handwriting’s bad?

ALIA:

~shrugs, and shakes her head, hopelessly perplexed~ it’s probably both, Daddy. ~leans down and tries her best to copy it, though there are plenty of shaky strokes and misplaced circles~

DOCTOR:

~gives a reassuring smile~ maybe it’s best to speak it more fluently before we start drawing things, eh? Though your name was almost perfect.

ALIA:

~smiles brightly, setting down the crayon~ alright. Where do we start?

MASTER:

~there’s a creaking of wood as the Master trudges slowly up the stairs, heading straight for his room and looking ready to collapse~

DOCTOR:

Well… {hello} and {goodbye} are hello and goodbye… that seems like a good place to start. ~almost visibly winces as he can feel how bad of a state the Master’s in~

MASTER:

~stumbles into the room and closes the door behind him~

ALIA:

~looks up briefly in concern before repeating~ {hello, goodbye, hell-} can I learn your names? That’s what Father taught me first.

DOCTOR:

Our original names, our chosen names in Gallifreyan, or just ‘Dad’ and ‘Father’ in Gallifreyan?

ALIA:

Yeah. ~nods in affirmation~ the last one; Father and Daddy.

DOCTOR:

~smiles, thinking for a second as it’s been a very long time since he had to say either of those in Gallifreyan~ alright then, that would be {Father} and {Daddy}.

ALIA:

~repeats cheerfully~ {father…} ~gestures at the Doctor cheerfully~ {bunny!}

DOCTOR:

~laughs despite himself~ sorry—it was only a small difference in how you said it, but Daddy’s {Daddy.} You just said “bunny”.

ALIA:

~tilts her head to the side in confusion~ bunny? What’s a bunny?

DOCTOR:

It’s a baby rabbit, which is a small, fluffy creature that hops around on Earth.

ALIA:

Oh. ~pauses thoughtfully, then tries again~ {Daddy.} is that right?

DOCTOR:

Yup! ~grins happily~ that’s me! Now, what next…?

ALIA:

Is {Father} okay now? ~leans forward expectantly~

DOCTOR:

I don’t think it’s going to be a spontaneous thing… ~mentally checks up on the Master~

MASTER:

~seems pretty unresponsive, though he is conscious; he explains briefly that he doesn’t feel sick anymore~

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly~ it’s probably best if we leave the Master to his own devices for now.

ALIA:

~pouts in disappointment~ aw… ~seems to remember something, getting up and heading over to her drawer again, pulling out a few pads of yellow sticky notes~ I forgot I had these, too! Can we use them?

DOCTOR:

~stands to look at what Alia has taken out~ I can’t see why not. What would we use them for, though?

ALIA:

~crouches onto the floor, taking one of the notes off and sticking it onto the Doctor’s forehead, furrowing her eyebrows in thought as she observes the combination~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles, taking it off and writing his own name on it in Gallifreyan before sticking it back on his head~

ALIA:

~grins and writes her name on another note, taking it off and sticking it to her own forehead~ there!

DOCTOR:

~laughs lightly~ {so, what next?} ~smiles as he translates~ so, what’s next?

ALIA:

~smiles eagerly, pulling out a new sheet of paper and setting it on top of the ones with Gallifreyan~ can you teach me how to write Human English?

DOCTOR:

Yes—that is, in fact, much easier. ~takes a paper for himself, writing out “Alia Sigma” then pointing to things as he talks about them~ that’s your first name—Alia—and that’s your last name… each symbol represents a different sound.

ALIA:

~listens carefully, then uses a crayon to point to each of the letter as she slowly sounds out her name, figuring out which symbols correspond with what sounds~ the first one is the same as the last one, ~she concludes proudly~ and it’s also at the end of my first name.

DOCTOR:

That’s right! The symbols are called letters and there are… 26 of them in the English language. Quite humble compared to most languages.

ALIA:

Twenty-six? ~thinks for a brief moment~ that’s two tens and six ones! ~writes the number down, then furrows her eyebrows in concentration as she looks at the letters in her name~

DOCTOR:

~beams with pride~ that’s right! And the letter that starts your name is called A.

ALIA:

~starts writing the letters of her name out of order, ending up with “gamasaili” and looking at it with uncertainty~

MASTER:

{I see you two have been quite productive… how’s the Gallifreyan coming along?} ~comments weakly, from where he stands leaning on the doorframe of Alia’s room~


	14. House Arrest

 

 

DOCTOR:

~smiles, the pure sound of the Master’s Gallifreyan almost pulling him into his own memories~ {not well enough for her to know a word you just said, but we have been writing too.} ~stands and walks over to the Master, his expression showing his concern the second he’s facing away from Alia~

ALIA:

{Father!} ~she happily exclaims in her newly-learned Gallifreyan, jumping up and bounding over to stand next to the Doctor~

MASTER:

~smiles slightly, still a little shaky but otherwise he seems fine~ {I think the worst of it has passed… the medicine was helpful.} ~gives the Doctor a thankful nod~

DOCTOR:

~smiles back as he responds, setting a hand on Alia’s head to telepathically allow her to understand the conversation~ {That’s good.}

MASTER:

~notices the Doctor’s gesture and smiles at Alia before suddenly returning his focus to the Doctor~ {Did you stop the recorder?}

DOCTOR:

{yeah} ~takes the recorder out of his pocket, off~ {when I got back, of course.}

MASTER:

{Certainly-} ~shudders, closing his eyes for a moment~ {we should drop that off, sometime relatively soon…}

DOCTOR:

{Alright, how?} ~worry slips into his tone and he realizes a little too late that Alia can not only hear it, but sense it, taking his hand off of her head almost as if it burns~

ALIA:

~looks up at the Doctor worriedly~

MASTER:

~glances over at her for a brief moment~ {the portal.} ~retreats back into the hallway a few steps, opening the closet to his right~

ENVIRONMET:

~there’s a blue portal on a white panel inside the closet that leads into Aperture’s lobby~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the portal that the Master~ {well it shouldn’t take much time at all, then. I could just do it now.} ~seeming to expect an argument or some catch~

MASTER:

~looks into the lobby thoughtfully~ {I would just set it inside; we’re not allowed to leave the house and technically Aperture would count.}

DOCTOR:

{Alright then, that’s even more easy.} ~walks up to the portal to set the recorder down on the other side of it casually, finding an odd sort of urge to go in but dismissing it instantly~

MASTER:

~can’t help but chuckle a little, stopping as soon as he remembers it’s not proper to feel the same in this case~

KEVIN:

~comes up from his desk and smiles drowsily at the Doctor as he picks up the recorder~ good morning.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back, realizing they’re five or six hours off sync~ {‘morni-} er—‘Morning, Kevin. ~recognizing the Master’s response to his thought but not acknowledging it~

KEVIN:

~manages a polite nod, turning and walking back to his desk~

MASTER:

~lets the closet door close again~ was something about that worrying you?

DOCTOR:

~looks confused, answering~ no, why? ~though he knows wanting to go in caught himself off guard~

MASTER:

You seemed… untrusting. ~his voice fades out slightly and he sways shakily, leaning into the wall and sliding down onto his knees, where he repeatedly clenches his hands into fists and releases them~

DOCTOR:

~furrows his eyebrows in concern~ you worry me more than anything in Aperture, I’ll tell you that. ~trying to be a comforting presence at least mentally~

MASTER:

~chuckles softly, closing his eyes and trying to ease his shaking~ nobody said this was going to be easy.

ALIA:

~stays in her room, peering at them from the doorway~

DOCTOR:

Only because they haven’t felt the need to lie to you. ~kneels down next to the Master, rubbing his back comfortingly~

MASTER:

That’s a relief. ~speaks a little sarcastically, but there is truth in his statement considering GLaDOS lies to them about a plethora of things~

DOCTOR:

~nods in understanding of the Master’s semi-sarcasm, knowing he’s lied to comfort people before but decidedly not bringing it up~

MASTER:

~brings his hands over his face and shivers, after a moment starting to chuckle weakly, the sound growing into a laugh~

DOCTOR:

~his hand stops on the Master’s back and he swallows back fear, part of him still finding the Master’s maniacal laughter the stuff of nightmares~ Master…?

MASTER:

~trails off to speak and circles one of his hands as he explains, holding back a giggle~ the… the thing… ~shakes his head and gives up on explaining aloud; he’s thinking about the time the Doctor said “never quiet”, reminded of it because the Doctor wasn’t speaking for a while~

DOCTOR:

~laughs at that, partially out of relief that that’s all that’s going on, speaking in a mocking tone that mocks his own~ sorry, Master, I couldn’t think of anything to say.

MASTER:

~giggles at the Doctor’s response, leaning forward a bit and still shaking noticeably~

ALIA:

~looks at the both of them in concern, taking a small step toward them~

DOCTOR:

~his smile softens and he brings the hand on the Master’s back around him in a half-hug, giving Alia a reassuring look though not disapproving her concern~

MASTER:

~calms down and leans into the Doctor thankfully, sniffing as he rests his head on the Doctor’s shoulder, and giving a brief chuckle of defeat before speaking~ {the artificial intelligence has left a few things around the house that I was glad I found before Alia.}

DOCTOR:

~brings his other arm around the Master as well, as if still trying to convince himself that he’s in reality. His smile fades almost entirely as he asks~ {what did She do?}

MASTER:

~looks down at the floor with a small sigh~ {she’s testing me, as always. You too I suppose… I can show you later.} ~tilts his head up to place a small kiss on the Doctor’s jaw~

ALIA:

~the action drives her back into her room to preoccupy herself with something else~

DOCTOR:

{of course She is.} ~despite his grim tone, he doesn’t really seem put down by any of this—worried for the Master, of course, and maybe Alia, but not upset with the situation~

MASTER:

~chuckles softly, gently removing himself from the Doctor’s embrace and coming to his feet, seeming steadier now. Mentally he proposes the Doctor makes sure Alia’s got something to do and that she’s not too worried about them, so that he can show the Doctor what She left around the house~

DOCTOR:

~stands up as well and nods~ sounds good to me. ~goes to Alia’s room, knocking as he enters~

MASTER:

~nods and carefully walks into the bedroom~

ALIA:

~looks up from the book she’s observing when the Doctor walks in~ hi, Daddy. ~gestures to the opened book~ reading’s just like writing, except the other way around, right?

DOCTOR:

Basically, yeah. ~walks over to Alia to see what book she’s holding~ I had a library back in the TARDIS with books from everywhere and every-when… but that’s beside the point.

BOOK:

~the book’s title is “A Study in Scarlet”~

ALIA:

Did you read a lot? ~looks up at the Doctor curiously, moving over on the edge of her bed so the Doctor has room to sit beside her~

DOCTOR:

On and off between adventures, yeah. Every type of book and language that seemed interesting, along with those that reference my adventures that have been labeled as fiction to keep authors out of Bedlam. ~chuckles as he adds~ though I’m sure the Master would say it’s showing off.

ALIA:

So books tell stories? ~leafs through the book, looking over the different words~ I counted way more than 26 symbols…

DOCTOR:

Here. ~picks up one of the lined pieces of paper and a crayon, writing down “Aa Bb Cc” and so on until he has the whole English alphabet~ these are all of the letters in the English language. They each have the capital form before the lowercase form of each letter. Capitals are used at the beginning of names and statements while lowercase letters are used otherwise.

ALIA:

~watches as the Doctor writes the letters out, pointing out a question mark in the book and protesting~ but what about these?

DOCTOR:

~smiles, writing “. , ? ! ‘ - / : ; ( ) “”~ these are all forms of punctuation, more or less. ~points to the additional symbols as he explains them~

ALIA:

~seems comforted by the explanation~ oh, okay. ~closes the book and looks up at the Doctor~ has Father gone back to bed?

DOCTOR:

Sort of—he’s fine, though; at least he seems much better. Sorry if I worried you through the telepathy, by the way.

ALIA:

It’s okay. It helped me learn more Gallifreyan, ~grins excitedly~ maybe we could keep doing it like that.

DOCTOR:

~smiles and ruffles Alia’s hair~ {sounds good to me!} ~brings his arm back to his side, trying to think of some way to get out without worrying Alia~

ALIA:

~chuckles, bringing a hand up to try to fix her hair which is pretty messy by now~

DOCTOR:

~seems to remember something, feeling in his pocket for the one remaining porcelain shard out of pure curiosity~

ALIA:

~looks over at the Doctor in curiosity when he pulls the piece of porcelain out of his pocket~ what’s that?

DOCTOR:

Still in my pocket from when we tried to escape. ~looks over at Alia, surprised she didn’t recognize it but thinking she may not have really seen it before she asked~

ALIA:

~nods, recognizing it now~ oh.

MASTER:

~in the hallway he opens the door of the bedroom and looks out at the Doctor, somewhat impatient~ Doctor.

DOCTOR:

~stuffs the porcelain back in his pocket, almost as if in panic, before seeming to remember where he is and relaxing a bit~ right. ~stands, turning to Alia briefly~ you should see what you can figure out from what I’ve shown you. ~before starting to walk towards the Master~

ALIA:

~she nods with determination, gripping the book~ okay, Daddy. I’ll do my best.

MASTER:

~smiles slightly, his shakiness not as noticeable as before, and steps back into the bedroom while leaving the door ajar~

DOCTOR:

~nods, acknowledging Alia’s statement as he goes to go through the door into the bedroom and close the door behind him—more on instinct than anything else~

MASTER:

~stretches his arms above his head and relaxes with a sigh, glancing at the Doctor with a contented smile before walking to the left side of the room to stand in front of the dresser~ might want to lock the door just in case. ~opens the top drawer~

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~locks the door before walking over to the Master, figuring any precautionary measures regarding Aperture should generally be taken~ so what is it?

MASTER:

Things, that I felt necessary enough to keep away from Alia. ~peers into the opened drawer~

ENVIRONMENT:

~its contents are a couple of razor blades, a miniature portal gun about an inch long, and the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver—broken up into at least 50 separate pieces, as if to prove a point~

DOCTOR:

Wow. ~looks over the items thoughtfully as if pondering over a puzzle~ interesting… She chose the sorts of hazards you’d find on Earth mainly—shards of things, razors stashed just to harm people… the least harmful thing here, in fact, would be the tiny portal gun—as long as that’s all it is.

MASTER:

I haven’t been curious enough to look into it. ~opens the second drawer~

ENVIRONMENT:

~which has a second set of orange jumpsuits for each one of them, a book titled “the laws of robotics”, a coil or two of at least 25 yards of rope and the removed optics of two turrets~

DOCTOR:

Okay, that’s just a mixture of creepy and potentially useful. ~looks over the items, thinking he might actually read the book if they’re here long enough for him to even want to open it~

MASTER:  
~glances at the Doctor and smiles slightly in amusement, closing the drawer and crouching down slightly to reach the third one~ and this is where the category turns into one of Her sarcastic jokes. ~opens the drawer~

ENVIRONMENT:

~revealing a plethora of items one could likely find in the home of a BDSM-enthusiast~

DOCTOR:

~looks over the items in the drawer, recognizing them faster than he feels is normal~ I don’t know if she’s perverted or genuinely teasing us sometimes. I’m starting to think it’s both.

MASTER:

~kneels on the ground, resting his elbow on the edge of the drawer and his chin in his hand as he looks down at its contents almost drowsily~ that’s what I’d say. ~glances up at the Doctor, speaking casually~ seeing as we have plenty of spare time, I’m sure we can make use of everything she’s left for us.

DOCTOR:

~just stands there for a moment, eyes fixed on the Master as a chill runs up his spine, failing to speak. Swallows, managing to say~ mindful that Alia’s not far… ~in a tone weaker than he would’ve liked~

MASTER:

~keeps his wistful gaze locked onto the Doctor’s for a while, the silence growing more uncomfortable than it already was before he raises his eyebrows and innocent realization crosses his face~ oh. ~looks forward and smiles a bit~ I suppose I did say ‘everything’. But don’t worry, I’ll play nice.

DOCTOR:

~chuckles at that~ wow, Master, two things I never expected from you in a row—then again, you are consistently unpredictable.

MASTER:

~stands up, giving the Doctor an amused smirk~ what, it’s not like I’m incapable of it. ~brings his arms around the Doctor’s neck, kissing him briefly and speaking in a soft tone~ besides, you’re assuming you’ll be on the receiving end. ~gives a flirtatious smile~

DOCTOR:

~smirks at the Master, his demeanor shifting~ you have given me reason to expect as much. ~kisses the Master back~ and yes, I know you’re capable of playing nice.

MASTER:

~grins, taking a step forward to move the Doctor backward~ especially when, ~pauses to kiss the Doctor again, continuing to advance on him as he speaks between increasingly insistent kisses~ the drums-, are gone.

DOCTOR:

Well that’s-, good news. ~brings his arms around the Master, following his motions and their rhythm to try to make the kisses last longer before speaking~ you weren’t talking about, Aperture, when you talked about, precautionary measures, were you?

MASTER:

~chuckles in affirmation, blushing slightly and coming forward to properly snog the Doctor, his advances bringing them to the edge of the bed~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes flit closed as he brings his hands to either side of the Master’s waist, only to open again as he spins them both, switching their positions and starting to push the Master down towards the bed~

MASTER:

~breaks the kiss and grins challengingly, letting himself be pushed down onto the bed as he pants lightly~ alright then; play nice, Doctor. ~speaks with playful warning~

DOCTOR:

Hm, I’ll think about it. ~speaks with fabricated indecision, grinning though it’s clear he has no intention of actually hurting the Master~

MASTER:

Sure. ~chuckles, going to pull the Doctor into another more gentle kiss~

DOCTOR:

~brings his hands up to rest on the Master’s chest, one ending up on the side of his neck and the other slowly unzipping the Master’s jumpsuit, kissing him~

MASTER:

~brings both hands up to unzip the Doctor’s jumpsuit more quickly, fidgeting slightly with impatience as his hands feel around the Doctor’s torso and he eventually breaks the kiss for air~

DOCTOR:

~pants lightly, finishing unzipping the Master’s jumpsuit, kissing the Master’s neck once he’s caught his breath and grinding against the Master~

MASTER:

~tilts his head back and lifts his hips slightly into the Doctor~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a timid knocking at the door~

MASTER:

~hastily tries to slide himself out from under the Doctor and sit up~

DOCTOR:

~mentally reminds the Master that no one can get in without them opening the door, rolling off of the Master and re-zipping his jumpsuit enough to be decent as he strides towards the door, casually pushing the BDSM-drawer closed before walking up to and unlocking the door~ yes?

ALIA:

~looks up at the Doctor, seeming distressed~ Daddy… ~she grips the book she had earlier at a slight distance from herself~ it’s scary…

DOCTOR:

Well then, we won’t read that anymore, will we? ~takes the book and tosses it to the side comically, not having expected Alia to be able to read much without being told what letters make which sound~ why don’t I write down a good story and you can read that?

ALIA:

~she looks at the discarded book in surprise at the Doctor’s sudden rejection of it~ um… ~looks back at the Doctor, relaxing her shoulders in relief~ okay, Daddy.

DOCTOR:

~tells the Master that he’ll be right back—for real this time as he knows what he’s doing. Steps out of the room, closing the door most of the way behind him, smiling at Alia~ I know a great story to write down.

ALIA:

~her eyes widen in curiosity, grinning with excitement~ what is it, what is it?

MASTER:

~acknowledges the Doctor almost smugly~

DOCTOR:

It’s a story of one of my travels on Earth—one of the many in which some alien race thinks it can put others at risk for its own purposes. ~starts towards Alia’s room~ and one in which I met one of my companions—I call this particular adventure “Smith and Jones”.

ALIA:

~grins and runs back into her room, crawling onto her bed and watching the Doctor intently~ do you think we could go on adventures again, when we get away from GLaDOS?

DOCTOR:

~smiles softly at the question, answering as he writes on a lined paper with speed—though he does make sure it’s legible~ I don’t think anyone could keep me in one space and time if they try after we’ve escaped. ~a sort of realization crosses his mind and he quickly adds~ though not the same as the ones I’ve gone on—not until you’re older.

ALIA:

~pouts in disappointment as she watches the Doctor’s quick movements~ aww. Why not?

DOCTOR:

Because the people who travel with me get hurt; the majority of them were human and just wouldn’t listen, but sometimes they get captured or something and it’s no one’s fault but mine, because I know what happens on my travels and I take them anyway.

ALIA:

~looks down at the floor, kicking her feet back and forth thoughtfully~ but… you took Father with you, right?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head slightly~ three or four times, maybe; and he’s an adult Timelord, and it was still risky.

ALIA:

Okay. ~reaches down with her foot and tries to pick up one of the crayons by curling her toes around it~

DOCTOR:

~soon finishes up on the story written on a couple of lined papers in crayon~ there we go; ~orders the pages like that of a book and hands them to Alia~

ALIA:

~looks up and takes them, observing the words carefully before smiling up at the Doctor~ thanks, Daddy. What do I do when I’m done?

DOCTOR:

~quickly comes up with a suggestion~ you could try to write something yourself. ~glad his first idea’s something Alia could do on her own~

ALIA:

~smiles and nods~ okay. ~rolls over and lies on her bed, holding the papers above her head to read them contentedly~

DOCTOR:

~turns to leave Alia’s room and head back to the bedroom, trying not to seem at all in a rush as that could concern Alia~

MASTER:

~hooks a length of rope over the Doctor’s head, pulling him into the room and kissing him as he pushes the door closed with his other hand, locking it~

DOCTOR:

~instantly kisses the Master back though he’s caught a little off guard by how sudden it is, losing his casually conversational demeanor~

MASTER:

~pushes the Doctor back into the door gently, so as to not make a loud noise, and breaks the kiss~ let’s move this along, shall we? ~backs toward the bed, holding one end of the rope so it slips out from behind the Doctor’s neck~

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master, grinning and remembering to speak~ yeah. Especially considering there’s no telling how long that takes Alia.

MASTER:

Good. ~wraps the rope loosely around his wrist so it’s not dragging on the floor, climbing up onto the bed and picking up a pair of leather restraints taken from the drawer~ so which do you prefer?

DOCTOR:

Which what? ~looks at the Master in genuine confusion, having more than one idea as to what he could mean~

MASTER:

~sets the rope and the restraints at the edge of the bed, patting the bed to gesture for the Doctor to come up with an amused smile~ you’re hopeless.

DOCTOR:

~climbs up onto the bed next to the Master, scowling at him but simultaneously blushing~ it’s not my fault I can’t read your mind—well, I guess I can, technically but that’s not the point. Besides, it was you who—though that was in the dream, so that never really happened.

MASTER:

Me who what? ~grins mischievously, leaning towards the Doctor and bringing the rope around his waist to pull the other Timelord closer~

DOCTOR:

~easily lets himself be pulled closer, hesitating to answer~ …told me not to assume.

MASTER:

Well. ~unzips the Doctor’s jumpsuit again, sliding it off of his shoulders and placing gentle kisses on his collarbone~ I’d say it’s a talent to be able to assume what your master wants.

DOCTOR:

~speaks in a thoroughly distracted tone~ like I said; it wasn’t you. ~realizing the way the Master worded his response and smiling~

MASTER:

Exactly. ~smiles and starts kissing his way up the Doctor’s neck, speaking softly~ _all_ you have to worry about, is right now. ~runs his hands down the Doctor’s arms, gently moving them behind the Doctor’s back and wrapping the rope once around the Doctor’s left wrist and right forearm~

DOCTOR:

~hums lightly in appreciation, tilting his head back and moving against the rope only slightly, as if he wants to not want it but can’t~

MASTER:

~takes the lack of protest as consent, continuing to bind the Doctor’s forearms together until the rope is mostly used up, tying it off with a strong knot and backing off with a smirk~ what do you think?

DOCTOR:

~pulls against it only once the Master’s finished, purely to test how well tied up he is~ not bad. More comfortable than those handcuffs, too.

MASTER:

~grins, crawling forward and pushing the Doctor down to meet the bed~ good. I’m not done. ~pulls off the rest of the Doctor’s jumpsuit and picks up a set of leather cuffs, strapping them to the Doctor’s ankles~ roll over, please.

DOCTOR:

~does as he’s told—or asked, it seems—speaking out of instinct more than anything else~ yes, Master.

MASTER:

~chuckles a bit while he speaks~ well, aren’t _you_ eager to please. ~brings the Doctor’s ankles up and ties the extra bit of rope to the chain between them, pulling on it to test the knot~ there we go.

DOCTOR:

~bites his lip slightly, stuck debating himself over whether or not to say something or what to say, pretty physically immobile by now~

MASTER:

~gently turns the Doctor back over and situates himself between the Doctor’s legs, leaning down to place his lips on the Doctor’s lower abdomen as he lightly brings a hand up under the Doctor’s length and rests it against his throat as he swallows~

DOCTOR:

~twitches in anticipation, a small, almost inaudible noise escaping his throat as he watches the Master~

MASTER:

~sits up slightly and smirks, continuing to lightly finger the Doctor’s length as a cruel tease~

DOCTOR:

~lets his head rest back on the bed, his eyes closed as he gives a needy whine~

MASTER:

~persists with his teasing as he speaks smugly~ you know, Doctor; if you want something, you’ll have to ask.

DOCTOR:

~stubbornly puts up with it for a moment before letting go of the little dignified pride he had left and speaking weakly~ Master, please… ~blushes a deep red, knowing the unfinished request won’t suffice~ blow me.

MASTER:

~chuckles, suppressing a wide grin~ gladly. ~leans down again and takes the Doctor’s length into his mouth, massaging his tongue against the tip of it before taking in a little more~

DOCTOR:

~shudders, his hips twitching but he manages to keep them from bucking~

MASTER:

~brings his hands up to the Doctor’s waist and lifts him slightly as he takes in the rest, swallowing and starting to bob his head~

DOCTOR:

~hums in pleasure, his back arching slightly on instinct~

MASTER:

~backs off prematurely, licking his lips and smiling in satisfaction as he takes off his own jumpsuit at a slow, leisurely pace~

DOCTOR:

~whimpers in protest~ come on, Master… ~though part of him’s truly enjoying this, so he doesn’t clarify his request~

MASTER:

~gives the Doctor a mischievous sidelong glance, tossing his jumpsuit aside and coming forward to run his fingertips along the Doctor’s length~ you’re going to have to be more vocal overall, Doctor.

DOCTOR:

~a shiver runs up his spine at the Master’s actions~ okay, Master… I will.

MASTER:

Good. ~strokes the Doctor for a few seconds before gently taking him into his mouth again, bobbing slowly as his other hand feels the Doctor’s entrance, and he slips a few fingers inside~

DOCTOR:

~groans, his eyes closing again, quickly figuring out that it’s extremely difficult and strenuous to do anything himself the way he’s tied up, knowing it’s entirely purposeful~ m—please, faster, Master…

MASTER:

~hums briefly in acknowledgement, moving his head a little faster and pushing his fingers further inside the Doctor, finding a sensitive spot to tease~

DOCTOR:

~his breaths leave in small, high-pitched noises he’d normally stifle as his back tries to arch, the result being a painful strain on his bindings and so he forces himself to relax as much as he can~

MASTER:

~chuckles softly, obviously pleased by the Doctor’s noises as he swirls his tongue around the Doctor’s length, backing off again to lean forward and kiss the Doctor while still working with his fingers~

DOCTOR:

~moans into the Master’s mouth, fidgeting sensitively as his length is left to feel cold, slicked with the Master’s saliva~

MASTER:

~pulls his fingers out and breaks the kiss to smirk at the Doctor, running a hand through the Doctor’s hair as he pushes himself inside the other Timelord and brings his free hand to stroke the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Fuck… ~though it doesn’t really catch him off-guard, he shudders, his head leaning into the Master’s hand~

MASTER:

~laces his fingers through the Doctor’s hair and starts rocking in and out of him at a gently pace~ you like being all tied up, don’t you?

DOCTOR:

~hesitates to answer the Master, focusing on every sensation he feels before responding~ …yes, Master…

MASTER:

~gives a small hum, firmly massaging the Doctor’s length with his thumb~ well then, I suppose I’ll have to thank Her for being so thoughtful. ~picks up the pace slightly, still remaining gentle~

DOCTOR:

I’m sure She heard you. ~speaks drunkenly, starting to come close~

MASTER:

~pants, taking a moment to answer~ good point. ~takes his hand away from the Doctor’s length and brings both hands up to caress the Doctor’s neck as he leans down for a kiss~

DOCTOR:

~kisses the Master back breathlessly and a little sloppily, going to bring his arms about the Master before remembering that he can’t~

MASTER:

~his own movements get a little careless as he reaches his climax, thrusting into the Doctor and breaking the kiss to catch his breath; chuckles lightly and brings his hands down to stroke the Doctor while resting his head on the Doctor’s chest~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t take long to come into the Master’s hand, his whole body tensing with a low moan before relaxing, panting as well~

MASTER:

~pulls out and sits up, but he doesn’t stop with his hands, grinning and leaning down to lick residue off of the tip of the Doctor’s length~

DOCTOR:

~whines lightly, spent but feeling himself still being stimulated, not yet recovering his breath~

MASTER:

~circles his thumb over the tip, and leans down to let his warm breath further stimulate the Doctor even though he has nothing to give~

DOCTOR:

M-Master! ~squirms slightly, knowing he’s warmer than normal even for this as his body tries to supply him with what he doesn’t have; though in vain—even Timelords can’t come twice in a row~

MASTER:

What is it, Doctor? ~speaks smugly as he places one hand on the Doctor’s thigh to hold him still, his other hand continuing its movements~

DOCTOR:

You kn-know exactly what. ~sigh shakily, knowing he’ll have to answer~ it’s virtually imp-possible to come twice in a row.

MASTER:

~chuckles, still stroking him~ you know that’s not the point. ~after a moment he stops and lets the Doctor relax, crawling over to lie beside him; brings one arm around the Doctor’s waist, reaching underneath him to detach the leather cuffs restraining his ankles~

DOCTOR:

Yes, I do. ~stretches his legs out once he can~ but you asked, so I answered. I know you wouldn’t rather me say nothing at all.

MASTER:

~smiles, starting to carefully undo the knot in the rope so the Doctor could easily slip his arms out of it~ You seem like you’re more used to this than I remember you being.

DOCTOR:

Being restrained or acting based on what you want? ~pulls his arms out of the rope and pulls the rope out from under himself, setting it aside~

MASTER:

The second one. ~gets himself comfortable beside the Doctor again with a small contented smile~

DOCTOR:

Then we can credit that to the dream—Valiant’s not-you. ~doesn’t elaborate, looking over at the Master as he speaks~

MASTER:

Alright. ~nuzzles the Doctor’s shoulder, holding him close for a second before letting go and standing up to put his jumpsuit back on~

DOCTOR:

~seems worried by something as he goes to put on his own jumpsuit, hesitating only slightly before doing so~

MASTER:

~zips his jumpsuit up and looks over at the Doctor, noticing his worry over the link~ you alright?

DOCTOR:

Yeah, I’ll be fine. ~smiles over at the Master, zipping up his own jumpsuit~

MASTER:

~walks over to the Doctor, drawing him into a hug and resting his head on the Doctor’s chest~ you’d better be.

DOCTOR:

~wraps his arms around the Master in return~ after everything I’ve been through, I’m sure I can handle the aftermath of a _dream._

MASTER:

~closes his eyes and relaxes with a contented hum~ yes, that’s fair. ~nuzzles the Doctor slightly, eventually stepping away from the embrace to take the items on the bed back to their respective drawers, hesitating by the dresser after they’ve been put away~

DOCTOR:

~and yet, when he thinks about it, he can’t even be sure he’s awake, though this certainly is an ideal reality by comparison—but that causes a separate issue of being _happy_ with Aperture, or at least contented. Notices the Master’s hesitation, not knowing what to make of it~ and are _you_ alright?

MASTER:

~chuckles and turns somewhat abruptly away from the drawers, putting his hands in his pockets~ oh I’m fine; couldn’t be better, actually.

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the Master’s response, it being the most positive response he’s ever gotten from him~ good. Shall we get back to Alia, then?

MASTER:

~despite his positive response he doesn’t smile genuinely, then not at all when he stumbles forward to use the edge of the bed for support as he leans forward and closes his eyes, his breathing suddenly becoming strained~

DOCTOR:

~runs over to the Master’s side instantly~ damnit, Master… ~not knowing how he thought for even a second that the Master had spoken genuinely~

MASTER:

~doesn’t look up at the Doctor, leaving one hand on the edge of the bed to keep himself from kneeling on the ground as he takes the Doctor’s hand in the other, bringing it to one side of his chest so the Doctor can feel that one of his hearts is beating irregularly, skipping several beats~

DOCTOR:

~speaks at double the speed he normally does, seemingly a trade off for how much he says~ at least it hasn’t stopped… though I’ve dealt with that before. Alright, two options and I don’t think you want to risk electrocution, so the other option is extremely makeshift and may or may not work—so really, neither option’s particularly good…

MASTER:

~it takes some effort for him to speak~ just… help me not die, you idiot. I don’t care what you do.

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~brings the Master over to where there’s a nightstand with a lamp, taking out the porcelain shard and cutting the wire that’s plugged into the wall. Unzips the Master’s jumpsuit just enough to get to a vein he’s certain goes to the heart in question and putting the fire hazard over it~

MASTER:

Aow- ~flinches at the electrical shock from the broken wire, catching his breath once he’s recovered from it and placing a hand over the heart that was shocked, speaking raspily~ could be better…

DOCTOR:

Yeah, well things could always be better. ~pulls the cord out of the wall so it stops sparking, then checks the Master’s pulse~

MASTER:

~relaxes with a careful sigh, his pulse having two functioning heartbeats, but one is slower than the other~

DOCTOR:

Well, it could be worse as well. I couldn’t be sure what the electrical output of that wire would be, just that it wouldn’t kill you. ~speaks with a certain level of relief~

MASTER:

~leans back on the wall~ alright, good… ~pauses thoughtfully~ are you sure you got the right medicine, because you said it was supposed to prevent things like that.

DOCTOR:

I know I asked for the right medicine; though you’re right, it is supposed to prevent things like that. Although, if the man did any research beyond the documents and/or somehow figures out they were forged… maybe I should check that medicine.

MASTER:

~gestures at the door~ it’s still downstairs in the kitchen. ~pushes off of the wall, walking over to the bed to sit down~

DOCTOR:

‘Kay. ~walks out of the room with his hands in his pockets and a worried expression, striding downstairs and into the kitchen~

ALIA:

~is sitting at the table along with a few pieces of scribbled-on paper and scattered crayons, resting her head on the page beneath her and looking a little bummed~ hi, Daddy.

DOCTOR:

Hm? Hi, Alia. ~walks over to take the medicine back out of the bag~ what’s got you so down?

ALIA:

~looks over at the Doctor and the pill bottle he removed from the bag~ I can’t think of what to write a story about.

DOCTOR:

That’s always the hardest part… ~takes a pill out of the bottle and closes it, setting the bottle back in the bag and walking over to the counter and looking for a knife~ what’s the most absurd or impossible thing you can think of?

ALIA:

Um… ~looks at the page under her cheek in thought, otherwise remaining immobile~ I don’t know…

DOCTOR:

~finds a knife in one of the drawers and cuts the pill in half, then cuts up one of the halves until it has the consistency of salt~ well anything you think’s impossible, then; could be the most ridiculous or simple thing, it doesn’t matter. Write about that happening.

ALIA:

~thinks for a moment, then sits up and looks at the Doctor curiously~ what’re you doing?

DOCTOR:

Checking something. ~takes the bit of chopped up medicine into his hand and licks it up, trying to taste everything that’s supposed to be in the pill~

ALIA:

Is something wrong with the medicine? ~becoming somewhat concerned now~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the pill seems to be a weaker version of what the Doctor asked for, one that could be more easily prescribed on such short notice~

DOCTOR:

~mutters in a low enough tone that Alia can’t hear~ that jackass… ~then answers Alia~ no, thank goodness. It’s the wrong medicine, but not to a dangerous extent. Although, that guy at the pharmacy should have at least told me!

ALIA:

~frowns slightly, picking up a crayon and fiddling with it~ is Father okay?

DOCTOR:

Yeah—there was a small problem, but he’s fine. ~mentally informs the Master of the issue, glad it’s not the worst-case-scenario~ the medicine’s weaker, but at a higher dosage it should still work.

MASTER:

~acknowledges the Doctor, leaving the bedroom and starting to head downstairs almost immediately, seeming a little worked up over something~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master when he comes down, giving him a questioning look~ that was fast.

MASTER:

~looks nervous and a little frightened, stumbling over to the Doctor and snuggling up to his chest, seeking comfort~

ALIA:

Father? ~she stands up in surprise~

DOCTOR:

~wraps his arms around the Master, speaking softly with concern~ what happened…? ~rubbing his back gently~

MASTER:

I-I couldn’t stay up there, alone, ~he explains through the fabric of the Doctor’s jumpsuit, still tense, and the Doctor can sense his quickened heartbeats~

DOCTOR:

Alright, it’s okay… ~doesn’t know where this particular phobia came from, only that it seems to have started before Claire’s death, holding the Master close~

MASTER:

~quiets down, letting the Doctor comfort him until he’s more relaxed both physically and mentally. Murmurs quietly after a moment~ this wasn’t a problem when you were asleep…

DOCTOR:

~the Master’s statement hits him and he speaks a little hesitantly~ as far as I know, the only psychological change between them and now Is the link’s active… sorry I’m a physician, not a psychiatrist.

MASTER:

~shakes his head slightly, explaining~ I mean, it wasn’t a problem because you were always in there… ~glances over at Alia~ I could explain later…

DOCTOR:

Alright, if that’s what you want… meanwhile, you should take two more of those pills; most human-made drugs are weak as it is.

MASTER:

Two? ~sounds surprised at first, looking up at the Doctor then glancing over at the bag and remembering what the Doctor told him over the link~ alright…

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly~ they are basically what I asked for, just weaker—I’m just glad it’s not something else.

MASTER:

~hesitantly lets go of the Doctor and walks back over to the table~ maybe you should read the label next time you’re about to give me medication. ~takes the bottle out and retrieves two pills, swallowing them~

DOCTOR:

I read the label on the _bag._ Sorry I didn’t think a man who makes a living off of giving people medicine would be so inept.

MASTER:

~turns slightly to say something, but freezes~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a knock on the door~

ALIA:

~looks over at the door with wonder, whispering~ who’s that?

DOCTOR:

~walks over to the door, holding his hands behind his back to make it clear he has no intention of opening the door, speaking warily in a clearly projected tone~ who is it?

ENVIRONMENT:

~the muffled response comes clearly from the other side of the door~ it’s the police. Open up.

GLaDOS:

~hisses at them from her small speaker~ *Get over here, right now. I’ll deal with this.*

DOCTOR:

~nods assuming GLaDOS means Aperture and gesturing, physically and mentally, for Alia and the Master to follow him upstairs—and for the Master to take the medicine with him~

ALIA:

~runs over to the Doctor and looks up at the door in distress~ what’s going on?

MASTER:

~nods and picks up the bag, heading upstairs~

ENVIRONMMENT:

~two people in lab coats come down to the front door, and the police knock again, more insistently~

DOCTOR:

~goes up to the portal, not hesitating to walk through, whispering almost to himself~ I just wonder what police.

MASTER:

~walks in after the Doctor, asking with confusion as he’s followed by Alia~ which police? ~closes the closet door behind them~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they hear the opening of the front door from downstairs~

DOCTOR:

Well, there’s the London Police Force, which would impress me, considering they strike me as idiotic; or UNIT, who would only knock if they knew something’s wrong but would refer to themselves as the police.

MASTER:

~leans back on the nearest wall, looking up at the ceiling in thought and mentally asking the Doctor if it’s really their best choice to avoid either version of the police if GLaDOS seemed so concerned about them~

DOCTOR:

~responds with the fact that as long as they don’t find the portal things should be fine—but if the portal _is_ found, it could start havoc and possibly World War III~

MASTER:

~rolls his eyes slightly and lets out a small sigh of disappointment, remembering that the Doctor is too concerned for the bigger picture to make a selfish move~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master, seeming almost angered~ you act like that’s a bad thing—I’m just glad I can still think like myself.

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor, taken aback by his sudden irritability~ are you sure you’re alright? ~walks over to him, concerned~

DOCTOR:

~glances down at the floor~ It wasn’t really you, that I can fully comprehend and accept—heck, I’m relieved it wasn’t you. But it _was_ really me, and that’s hard for me to stomach.

ENVIRONMNENT:

~the closet door opens~

PEOPLE:

~the two people in lab coats quickly head through the portal as one of them calls~ close it!

ENVIRONMENT:

~and the portal disappears behind them~

DOCTOR:

~looks over at the people, speaking inquiringly~ so; did it look like a police officer or part of a SWAT team?

PEOPLE:

~they both ignore the Doctor, panting as they walk further into the room to report something to Kevin at the front desk~

ALIA:

~looks at them, then over at the Doctor~ no more home…

DOCTOR:

~gives Alia a pained empathetic look, walking over to her and crouching down to hug her~

ALIA:

~she hugs the Doctor back, patting his shoulder comfortingly and murmuring~ {It’s alright, Daddy.}

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly in affirmation, letting go and backing up out of the hug to smile at Alia, knowing she doesn’t know how much is his fault and making sure the thought can’t be read by her~

MASTER:

~comes over and nudges the Doctor’s shoulder, gesturing slightly with his head toward the front desk~

KEVIN:

~is waving them over~

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~stands to his full height, gesturing for Alia to follow and starting towards the front desk~

MASTER:

~follows with Alia close behind him, walking up to Kevin~

KEVIN:

Sorry that had to be cut short… could I have the medicine, please?

MASTER:

~hesitates, holding the bag a little closer to himself~

DOCTOR:

~frowns, speaking in scarily dormant anger~ Kevin, buddy, I like you, I do, and I know you’re just the messenger… but considering the lengths I went to to try and keep my family safe, how far do you think I’d go to prevent one of them from being more likely to die?

KEVIN:

~swallows a little nervously~ no need to get all worked up, Doctor… we can make sure he gets periodic doses of it…

DOCTOR:

~raises his eyebrows slightly~ can you promise me that? Can you truthfully promise me that he’ll get an adequate amount of it whenever he needs it?

ALIA:

~looks over the edge of the desk and scrunches her nose up at Kevin~

KEVIN:

~hesitates~ I can… try.

DOCTOR:

I don’t mean any offense by this, but I’m not convinced you have much power over what happens with this—especially considering you don’t dare make the promise; and I believe that’s because you know that, if you do and things don’t go well, it falls on no one’s head but yours.

KEVIN:

Well, y—um—I could- ~stutters a bit~

GLaDOS:

~interrupts cooly~ *Doctor, please don’t harass my secretary.*

DOCTOR:

Caroline, don’t even try to be polite, it doesn’t suit you. ~turns his focus back to the issue at hand~ that being said, we’re getting nowhere with this; so Kevin, just please do what you can and we’ll leave it at that.

KEVIN:

~he nods~

GLaDOS:

~retorts mockingly~ *I’m flattered; I didn’t know you were so concerned for my image.*

KEVIN:

~nervously pauses for a moment as if to wait his turn, then continuing~ okay, I’ll take the medicine and make sure it’s always on hand… meanwhile you’re all headed to the next test together… ~glances at the elevator shaft~

DOCTOR:

~follows Kevin’s gaze to the elevator, fully expecting an escort or two and completely ignoring GLaDOS~ alright.

MASTER:

~sets the bag on the desk for Kevin to take~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the distinct scent of blood hits the air, proceeded by the arrival of the elevator~

ESCORTS:

~two escorts walk out of it, supporting an unconscious man in an orange jumpsuit between them who is so injured and bloody that it takes a few moments to recognize him as Jack~

DOCTOR:

~grimaces, watching his old friend be carried and knowing he won’t be dead for too long, speaking quietly~ I’m so sorry…

ALIA:

~squeaks in distress and quickly hides behind the Doctor, watching fearfully~ Daddy, is that-?

JACK:

~is carried past them and regains consciousness with a ragged breath, almost managing to support some of his own weight before going lifelessly limp again~

DOCTOR:

~looks down at the floor~ yes, Alia… it is. ~mutters in a quieter yet still understandable tone~ I’m getting us out of here.

ALIA:

~lowers her voice to match the Doctor’s~ with… Jack too?

MASTER:

~watches for another few moments as Jack is dragged away, before walking to the elevator and briefly placing a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder in comfort when he passes~

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master as he talks to Alia~ Jack, the TARDIS, Kevin, Dr. Holloway… I’ll pull as many people out of here as I can.

MASTER:

~walks into the elevator, lifting his feet in turn when they get covered in the blood on the floor~ that’s great thinking, Doctor, but I did say both the TARDIS and Tav were disassembled.

ALIA:

~adds quietly as she steps inside~ Jack, too.

DOCTOR:

I hate to make any comparisons, but I _have_ put the TARDIS back together before. As for Jack, he’ll heal. ~gets extremely uneasy upon entering the elevator~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator moves downward~

MASTER:

~walks over to stand next to the Doctor, bringing an arm around him comfortingly~ alright then. We’ve got a lot of work to do. ~smiles slightly~

GLaDOS:

*That’s right. Plenty of work.*

DOCTOR:

~forces his eyes off of the pool of blood in the elevator—it doesn’t even smell like that of a Timelord and yet he has to remind himself of reality, leaning into the Master slightly~

MASTER:

~holds the Doctor a little closer in response, closing his eyes for the rest of the trip down~

ENVIRONMENT:

~which feels further than they’ve gone as of late; certainly below the mainframe room. The doors open to a round monitor-lined room with a staircase straight ahead, the start to a typical test chamber~

DOCTOR:

~looks around them in mild surprise~ back to classics… or perhaps back to no human contact. ~shrugs slightly, as if indifferent, hesitantly stepping away from the Master and out of the elevator~

MASTER:

~follows the Doctor, taking Alia’s hand to lead her out of the elevator with them as they scale the stairs~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they arrive in a test chamber with crushers, deadly water, a laser, laser cube and laser receptacles… they had actually been here before, a long time ago~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the test, actually smiling at it~ hey, Master, do you remember this one?

MASTER:

~squints, looking around at the laser, the crushers, and the glass room that cuts the exit off from their current location in recognition~ yeah… ~smiles, chuckling a bit while also concerned that Alia’s here with them~

DOCTOR:

~looks perplexed at the choice of test~ this test is designed for two—oh, but we don’t have portal guns, do we?

MASTER:

No… ~furrows his eyebrows, thinking through the traditional way to solve this particular test~ but portals are required… without them, in a party of three only two would be able to move on.

DOCTOR:

Exactly… ~quickly gets worried with the situation~ d’you think that’s why she’s putting us back in here? To see who leaves?

ALIA:

~looks between the two of them, frightened by the test and the conversation~

MASTER:

~strokes her hair comfortingly~ perhaps. If that’s what it comes to, I’ll stay behind. I know my way around and Alia will be better off staying with you.

DOCTOR:

~thinks for a second about the Master’s proposal~ And leave _you_ alone in Aperture? Well doesn’t that have a history of going great! ~shakes his head slightly~ I agree that it has to be either you or me, but if we take the past into consideration, the worst I’ve ever come back with is nightmares and broken bones.

MASTER:

Doctor, I b-... ~shakes his head in exasperation~ I’m just saying it’s safer if Alia stays with you. For that exact reason.

DOCTOR:

You are not any more of a danger to Alia than I am now, and I doubt what’s outside of this test will change based on our decision.

MASTER:

~gives a short huff of annoyance, turning his gaze away from the Doctor~ we might figure out a way to get out of here all together, too.

DOCTOR:

Alright, let’s look around then. Anything we haven’t noticed before? ~looks around the test, trying to think of some way to get them all across~

MASTER:

~follows the Doctor’s gaze, taking note of every element of the test from each laser port to how fast the crushers move up and down~ do you think… ~walks over to the redirection cube, picking it up~ we could break the glass?

DOCTOR:

Maybe… ~looks at the glass, trying to estimate how thick and durable it is~ it’s certainly worth a shot.

MASTER:

~remembers the porcelain shard the Doctor had earlier~ oh, and do you still have that sharp bit of mug? ~walks over to the plexiglass, lifting the cube with a little uncertainty~

DOCTOR:

Oh right! Yeah, I do. ~reaches into his pocket and takes out the shard~ I don’t think it’ll do much of anything against that wall, though…. A camera, sure, but not a wall.

MASTER:

~swings the cube back and throws it forward as forcefully as he can, making a miniscule crack in the glass~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the cube bounces back and disintegrates in the toxic water. Another dispenses next to the laser~

MASTER:

Well? ~looks at the Doctor, then the small crack~

DOCTOR:

If a crack can be made, then a hole can. ~goes to bring the new block over, putting the porcelain back in his pocket and pegging the cube directly at the crack~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor’s blow causes a few shards of glass to chip off, the crack more noticeable now; the cube ricochets off at an angle where it doesn’t fall in the water~

MASTER:

~backs up and goes over to Alia, moving the both of them out of the way with the inference that there’s going to be more flying shrapnel~

DOCTOR:

~repeatedly takes the cube(s) and throws it at what he thinks is the weakest spot each time~

ENVIRONMENT:

~eventually the Doctor’s efforts create a hole in the glass large enough for someone to stick a few arms through, though the edges are hazardous and the Doctor’s gotten his feet a bit cut up from walking over shards of glass~

DOCTOR:

~starts just hacking at the hole with the cube, not wanting to risk throwing it through the wall, ignoring the fact that he’s bleeding for the moment~

GLaDOS:

*I admire your persistence.* ~She comments with mild surprise~

MASTER:

~walks over to the Doctor and tries to signal for him to stop when he sees the hole is big enough and he’s starting to get concerned for the Doctor’s safety~

DOCTOR:

~throws the block at the portion of glass still jutting from the floor, having noticed the Master’s signaling. Gets his feet even more scratched up unintentionally as he goes through the hole, checking his hands to be sure there’s no glass stuck in them~ you might want to carry Alia across this… ~walking so he’s beyond the debris before sitting down on the floor to take shards of glass out of his foot~

MASTER:

~looks at the Doctor in concern~ alright… ~walks back over to Alia and hefts her up into his arms, picking over the scattered shards of glass until she’s close enough to slip through the hole, and he climbs through after her to join the Doctor in removing glass from his feet~

DOCTOR:

~after he’s gotten the glass out of his practically blood-soaked feet, takes the porcelain shard and cuts into the cuffs of his pants so he can tie them both almost painfully tight to reduce blood loss~

MASTER:

~didn’t get nearly as much glass in him, looking over at the Doctor in concern as he stands~ it’d be awfully nice to have shoes… ~offers his hand to help the Doctor up~

ALIA:

~asks in distress~ are you okay, Daddy?

DOCTOR:

Yeah, I’ve seen and survived worse. ~takes the Master’s assistance, stopping himself from grimacing~ and we all got through, so that’s what matters.

MASTER:

~smiles slightly~ yes. Next test? ~starts to head toward the elevator, though he waits for the Doctor in case he needs assistance~

DOCTOR:

Guess so. ~walks to the elevator, taking Alia’s hand so they both walk out of the test at the same time~

MASTER:

~follows behind the Doctor, getting into the elevator with the rest of them as the doors close~

DOCTOR:

~sits back down in the elevator, not wanting to stand more than he has to, looking at his own feet in distaste~ what do you think is next?

MASTER:

~looks down at the Doctor sympathetically, softly running his fingers through the other Timelord’s hair~ maybe She’s sending us back through the first tests we did.

DOCTOR:

~tilts his head up into the Master’s hand appreciatively~ wasn’t our first test that divided hallway? Though I suppose that wasn’t much of a test and easy to do without portal guns.

MASTER:

Yeah, I think She skipped that one. ~smiles slightly~

ENVIRONMENT:

~after a moment the elevator stops~

ALIA:

~asks quietly~ Daddy… how did you and Father end up in Aperture?

DOCTOR:

That’s a good question, and we hardly know the answer; scientists were conducting some experiment. They conducted electricity through some stone and it teleported us here, then they put us into cryosleep for… 5 years? ~stands up using the wall of the elevator~

MASTER:

I think so. ~nods, walking out into the test~

ENVIRONMENT:

~one section has a vertical maze with the redirection cube inside it, and another has the laser and exit door~

DOCTOR:

Alright; ~looks over the familiar test~ the issue here would be the drop, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t fancy trying to break the glass again… either of us could survive the fall without breaking anything, I’m pretty sure. ~clearly trying to size up the distance~ yep, certainly doable.

MASTER:

~looks up, not liking it~ how are we going to get up there in the first place?

DOCTOR:

Well, there has to be a _way,_ whether or not it’s preferable. ~looks around at the test, not seeing anything right away~

ALIA:

Can I help? ~she tiptoes out of the elevator, looking up at the Doctor pleadingly~

DOCTOR:

If I can think of a way to do this, I’m open to any ideas. We very well may _need_ three people for this anyway.

ALIA:

~bounces with excitement~ what if we climb up there?

MASTER:

~looks down at her with uncertainty~ it’s glass…

DOCTOR:

But the panels next to it aren’t… and the other wall it’s close to looks perfectly climbable… the jump from that wall might be a stretch, but what other ideas do we have?

MASTER:

~thinks over their options~ we can’t break the glass, we don’t have a cube… If it were just me I’d sit down and try refusing to take the test; that’s worked once or twice before.

DOCTOR:

But that’s the equivalent of giving up. ~latches onto and climbs across the seemingly broken wall he deemed climbable~ if you want to sit in protest, you can; Alia and I will solve the test.

ALIA:

~runs over to the Doctor to follow him~

MASTER:

~protests~ but-… I didn’t say I _was_ going to do that. ~irritably follows the Doctor and Alia~

DOCTOR:

~glances back at everyone following him~ okay, two of us can go into the maze but _someone_ has to actually control the maze.

MASTER:

~he hasn’t started climbing yet; walks back over to the buttons~ I’ll do that. ~steps on one experimentally~

DOCTOR:

~climbs up and over so he’s a bit above the opening, launching off of the wall to grab onto the opening, climbing inside with a bit of struggle then crawling to the edge, ready to catch Alia if she misses~

ALIA:

~follows the Doctor’s path, crawling up with the Doctor’s assistance and sitting down when she’s on solid ground with relief~

DOCTOR:

~stands up to his full height, looking out of the maze at the Master~ alright, Master, lead the way!

MASTER:

~looks up, a little startled by the sudden request; looks at the maze~ alright… you can head forward and I’ll move down the platform… ~takes a second look at the maze, eyebrows furrowed~ wait, how are you going to get back out?

DOCTOR:

~starts walking forward as the Master said, gesturing for Alia to follow~ either the way we came or by breaking another window; I find a slightly risky jump referable. Maybe I’ll break a hole big enough or Alia and clean it from most of the glass if you’re worried about it.

MASTER:

No, from here it just looks like there’s no way back up once you get down to the cube without using portals. ~paces slightly, getting an idea~ are there handholds on the moving sections? There’s one to your right.

ALIA:

~quickly bounds past the moveable platform~

DOCTOR:

Ummm… ~inspects the moveable section he can see~ the bar across juts out enough that I could climb or latch onto it, yeah.

MASTER:

~smiles victoriously~ okay, that’s fine. Everyone out of the way… ~steps on the button to lower the platforms, clearing the one in front of the Doctor~ Alright… continue to the next stable platform.

DOCTOR:

~does as the Master says, assuming Alia knows to follow by now~ alright then! I wonder if we’re the only ones she’s made do this; because, while they are admirable, human intellect leaves a lot to be desired.

ALIA:

~climbs down after the Doctor, looking out of the glass and down at the Master, giggling~ what’s that supposed to mean, Daddy?

MASTER:

~signals for them to stay put, bringing the platforms up so they can drop down the distance of two moving blocks~

DOCTOR:

It means I like humans, but sometimes they’re not too smart. There is a fraction of the human race that’s utterly brilliant, but it’s a small fraction.

ALIA:

~peers down the drop they’ll have to pass to get to the next safe spot, looking uncertain~ Daddy, that’s a pretty long way.

DOCTOR:

Oh that? Don’t worry. ~drops down, letting himself grimace when he knows Alia can’t see. Turns back to look up at Alia, arms extended~ here, I’ll catch you.

ALIA:

~she nods, crawling to the edge and sitting down before sliding herself off and closing her eyes tightly~

DOCTOR:

~catches Alia, stopping himself from falling backwards before setting Alia down~ there we go! That wasn’t too bad, was it?

ALIA:

~giggles~ that was fun!

MASTER:

~asks if the Doctor’s okay through the link and speaking aloud~ alright, I’m bringing them down twice now.

DOCTOR:

~nods, responding to the Master’s question in the positive and smiling at Alia’s response~

MASTER:

~waits until they’re out of the way to step on the other button, which closes off the way they came but opens up the rest of the way to the cube~

ALIA:

~runs over and picks it up, taking a few moments to get a good grip on it~ got the cube!

DOCTOR:

~follows Alia~ great! ~turns to look out the glass~ so, Master, what’s your plan?

MASTER:

Alright, retrace your steps… then I’ll bring the platforms up and you can toss up the cube; ~pauses thoughtfully~ if you hold onto the bar across the bottom the platform should be able to life you back up, one at a time.

DOCTOR:

Gotcha. ~walks back, seeing the distinct bloody footprints where he landed once the platforms are realigned so the cube should be able to be thrown, looking at Alia and the cube~ do you want to try to throw it up? Worst thing that could happen is it bounces back.

ALIA:

~quickly follows the Doctor, looking up at the ledge above her~ um… okay. ~lifts it over her head, getting a bit of a running start before jumping and letting go, sprinting out of the way as it bounces off of the wall and lands where she was standing~

DOCTOR:

~picks up the block, smiling as he throws the block up onto the ledge~ there we go.

ALIA:

~watches the Doctor toss it instead, and pouts with disappointment~ I didn’t make it.

DOCTOR:

~looks down at Alia, speaking with dismissive reassurance~ Don’t worry about it, nothing comes without practice.

ALIA:

Okay. ~smiles a little~

MASTER:

~announces~ it’s coming down- ~and he steps on the button to bring the block down into their reach~ just tell me when you’re ready.

DOCTOR:

~walks over and reaches up to grip the bar under the platform~ alright, go ahead.

MASTER:

~steps on the upward button and the platform quickly moves up, making the platform with the cube reachable~

DOCTOR:

~keeps his grip, swinging and letting go so he lands on the platform with the cube, stumbling but not falling~

MASTER:

~makes sure the Doctor’s situated himself before stepping off of the button~

ALIA:

~looks up at where the Doctor presumably is and asks worriedly~ Daddy?

DOCTOR:

Yes? I’m fine; and don’t worry about missing the platform or anything like that, the fall’s the same as it was before. Just do what I did, you’ll be fine.

ALIA:

~nods dutifully~ alright… ~stands up on her tiptoes and stretches up to try and reach the bar, having to jump multiple times before she’s able to catch it, adjusting herself so that she’s got a good hold, squeaking with determination~ ready to proceed!!

MASTER:

~chuckles, carefully stepping on the button again even though it’s not going to make it move slower~

DOCTOR:

~grins at the sound of Alia’s determined words, hoping she doesn’t loser her grip. Kneels by the edge of the platform he stands on so he could catch her if necessary but not in such a way that he’s in the way~

ALIA:

~flails in the direction of the platform as she lets go, falling within the reach of the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~catches Alia easily, pulling her up onto the platform~ and… we’re all up! ~picks up the cube, figuring it’s best of he carries it while they’re jumping and climbing on the other wall~

MASTER:

Great! ~lets the platform go back up to its natural position, leaving a clear path all the way to the opening in the glass~ all clear.

ALIA:

~gets up and bounds back across the platforms cheerfully~

DOCTOR:

~follows Alia, though not too quickly as he doesn’t want to put too much pressure on his feet. Leaps to grapple onto the wall once he gets to the hole, holding the cube with one hand and holding the wall with the other~

MASTER:

~walks off of the buttons, standing underneath the drop from the opening in case Alia falls, smiling~ mission accomplished.

ALIA:

~giggles, sliding off of the edge and falling into the Master’s arms~

MASTER:

~this catches him a little off guard so he stumbles, laughing as he rolls onto the ground with his arms wrapped protectively around Alia~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles, climbing down to the floor and looking at his family, smiling warmly as he brings the cube over to redirect the laser and open the exit~

MASTER:

~lets go of Alia and gets to his feet, brushing himself off and helping her up as well~ that went better than expected; eh, Doctor? ~smiles, walking over to the exit~

ALIA:

~frolics along behind them~

DOCTOR:

~follows them, nodding slightly~ for once, yeah! I’d even say that was fun, to be honest…

MASTER:

~veers closer to the Doctor, taking the other Timelord’s hand in his own and affectionately nuzzling his shoulder as they head through the exit, on their way to the next elevator~ I wouldn’t mind a few more of these tests, as long as nobody ends up hurt.

DOCTOR:

~brushes his fingers against the back of the Master’s hand~ me neither; it almost feels the same as my usual misadventures. It obviously holds a lot of differences, but still.

ALIA:

~frowns, speaking disapprovingly as she follows behind them into the elevator~ no, this place’s nothing like a place to go adventuring!

DOCTOR:

~sighs almost disappointedly, speaking in a more serious tone~ not all adventures are fun, Alia. This is an adventure from which good and bad have both come, and I wouldn’t rewind it back if I could.

MASTER:

~gives a pleasant sigh, resting his head on the Doctor’s shoulder~ yes.

ALIA:

~looks at the Doctor in confusion~ what’s good about a mean robot taking home away from us?

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator moves downward~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly at the Master’s actions as he answers Alia~ nothing. But, believe it or not, that mean robot is the reason why you exist and the Master and I aren’t enemies.

MASTER:

~sarcastically comments “damn robot.” Over the link, contentedly closing his eyes~

ALIA:

~continues~ oh… I can’t see her doing something like that for…

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator arrives in the next room—which is made of some sort of reflective metal from ceiling to floor, and white fog clouds the air, blurring their surroundings~

ALIA:

~forgets her thought, bounding out of the lift~ what is this place? ~looks back at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Smoke and mirrors… quite literally, it would seem. ~steps out of the elevator and looks around though he’s using his other senses more than sight at the moment~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room doesn’t smell of smoke or odorless fog, but more like a strange gas~

MASTER:

There’s no test chamber sign… ~speaks as he walks out and looks around~

ALIA:

~sways and collapses to the ground~

MASTER:

~turns to her in surprise~

DOCTOR:

~turns to see Alia on the ground, instantly covering his mouth and nose with his jumpsuit~ it has to be the gas. Is there an exit or are we just meant to pass out?

MASTER:

~does the same, looking around the room in worry~ I can’t see anything, but the gas is pretty thick… ~lets go of his jumpsuit as he stumbles, falling to his knees before going unconscious as well~

DOCTOR:

~trips over his own feet as he turns to look at the Master, falling and blacking out as well, his last thought being the worry that they’re about to be separated~


	15. Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is one loong chapter.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor finds himself standing in a familiar elevator, gun in hand and aiming at the Master~

MASTER:

~has his hands up in surrender~ Hey, look, we can sort this out…

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen and he drops the gun out of surprise~ no… ~stumbles back into the wall of the elevator away from the Master~ this was a dream, I’m hallucinating, going mad, the smoke as gaseous hallucinogens, it couldn’t have been another dream.

MASTER:

~walks forward, kicking the gun behind him and out of reach~ shh, it’s alright. ~softly brings a hand to the Doctor’s cheek, trying to comfort him~ I understand.

ENVIRONMENT:

~strangely enough the Doctor is still in his tenth regeneration~

DOCTOR:

You’re not real, I killed you, you’re a figment of my imagination, of course you understand. ~glances down at his feet, not knowing whether to expect them to be a bloody mess or not~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor’s wearing the suit Alia had given him~

MASTER:

Shh, quiet, I’m fine, and you are too.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator stops in the Master’s room~

DOCTOR:

~seems to calm down a bit though he’s still rather shaken~ well, I’m unconscious in Aperture—I think—and back in my coma-based nightmares so I don’t know if I’d count that as fine.

MASTER:

Here, come with me. ~brings his arm around the Doctor’s, leaning down to pick up the gun and firing it at the wall until the clip is empty before dropping it and leading the Doctor into his room~

DOCTOR:

~walks with the Master into the room, wondering if this Master has ‘broken character’ like the one in his first dream and mentally seeing if he can wake up or find the real link to the real Master~

MENTAL:

~his efforts are met with no results~

MASTER:

~leads the Doctor to the bed, turning him around and sitting him down with a pat on the head. Kneels so he’s not looking down on the Doctor and takes the other Timelord’s hands in his own~ I’m not leaving your side until you’re assured of reality. Alright? So tell me all that happened.

DOCTOR:

~tells the Master everything that’s happened starting with whem he emptied an entire clip of bullets into the Master’s head from his perspective, carefully not leaving out a single detail~

MASTER:

~comfortingly rubs the Doctor’s hands as he listens to the story, speaking when he finds a pause~ well I’m glad you didn’t shoot me. ~looks sympathetic~ what did I do to make you so angry?

DOCTOR:

You’re exterminating the human race and experimenting with the mass production of Timelords and I refused to follow orders and help, so you shut the whole place down so I couldn’t do anything. You came in with a chain and a gun and shot me in the stomach and I regenerated and you escorted me into the elevator. Then I took the gun and I killed you.

MASTER:

~furrows his eyebrows at the regeneration part~ now now, that didn’t happen! I wouldn’t make you regenerate for such a trifle. The gun was just a precautionary measure… ~looking distressed, brings one hand up to the Doctor’s face and brushes his hair back as he speaks softly~ if someone messed with my poor baby…

DOCTOR:

~his eyes drift closed briefly before he meets the Master’s gaze again~ I just don’t know what to believe anymore… I’d say this feels real, but _that_ felt real, so it doesn’t really help…

MASTER:

~thinks for a moment~ which reality would you rather have? ~his hand comes down to caress the Doctor’s cheek~ a new Gallifrey, free from Aperture… or the other, where we’re all stuck underground and powerless?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head as if he has to force himself to think for himself~ it doesn’t matter which reality I want, just which one’s actually reality!

MASTER:

~hushes him gently, waiting a moment for calm before speaking again~ if you were given a choice. Hypothetically.

DOCTOR:

Well apparently part of my understanding of this reality was some psycho hallucination, so how am I even able to know which parts of each reality were real in and of themselves? I suppose, if you take the bare idea of each one, I’d choose this one.

MASTER:

~smiles briefly, then faintly brushes his fingers over the makeshift bandage across the Doctor’s face, anger and realization crossing his face~ the Toclafane… _they_ could have done this to you…

DOCTOR:

~looks a little surprised by the statement~ well if they could they probably did; they all seemed pretty keen on tearing up the boss’ new favorite. Apparently my waking up postponed something.

MASTER:

~looks off to the side irritably~ {damn…} yes, it did. I’ll be sure to let them know behavior like this is no way to get it to come faster.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator doors open and a dark-haired woman steps into the room, not dressed like a maid but rather resembling a fashion model in a striking purple dress~

WOMAN:

Oh, hello! ~seems somewhat surprised at the Doctor’s presence~ I was so worried when I heard you were shot…

MASTER:

~looks over at her, getting to his feet but not letting go of the Doctor’s hands~

DOCTOR:

~looks over at the lady in confusion and surprise~ wait, who? Well, I suppose it’s clearly not me, seeing that I don’t know you and I wasn’t actually shot. I’m the Doctor, by the way, hello!

WOMAN:

~she smiles sweetly at the Doctor as she makes her way over~ hello! Pleased to meet you.

MASTER:

~turns to her and the Doctor’s hand slips out of his own~ Saffron… why are you in my- ~is cut off~

SAFFRON:

~comes forward and kisses him, passionately~

DOCTOR:

~gives a look of distaste and clears his throat obnoxiously though he knows that this ‘Saffron’ person knows he’s here~

MASTER:

~takes his hands away from her waist and backs off, guiltily wiping lipstick off his mouth with his sleeve~

SAFFRON:

~she continues~ I needed to make sure you were okay, of course! ~she looks at the Doctor apologetically~ I’m so sorry if I was interrupting something important…

MASTER:

~quickly denies that, a little dazed~ no! Well… sort of…

DOCTOR:

Oh no, no, it’s absolutely _fine!_ ~speaks in a tone of agitated sarcasm before adding a little condescendingly~ and the Master is perfectly okay, no thanks to you.

SAFFRON:

~she backs up in distress, glancing at the Master~ was it something I said?

MASTER:

~he hushes her comfortingly and hesitantly turns to the Doctor~ we… actually were in the middle of something, Saffron.

SAFFRON:

~she nods, then brings her arms about his waist and pecks his cheek~ alright. Try to be more careful…

DOCTOR:

~sits on the bed like an angered porcupine, not even trying to hide it but not saying anything else~

SAFFRON:

~she lets go and waves slightly before walking back to the elevator and disappearing behind the doors~

MASTER:

~stares at the elevator, for the moment forgetting to wipe the lipstick off of his cheek as well~

DOCTOR:

So, not to put things indelicately, but who’s the side-hoe? And please don’t just repeat the name, I’ve got that much.

MASTER:

~starts in a flustered manner~ Side-?! ~stops, recollecting himself and looking back at the Doctor but rarely meeting his gaze~ She’s not just some random human, if that’s what you want to know… she was my first successful recreation of a Timelord. She… helps out.

DOCTOR:

~responds in a mocking tone, not struggling to meet the Master’s gaze~ hell yeah, I bet she does.

MASTER:

~his brow twitches with irritation, his cheeks growing warm as his gaze locks with the Doctor’s~ what the hell did you expect? I’m not exactly a patient man! ~referring to the Doctor’s year-long coma~

DOCTOR:

And not known for you self-restraint at that. And maybe, between Antoinette Poisson, sending human me into Rose’s dimension, and Queen Bess, I shouldn’t be one to talk; but it’s not like I was dead or against you or on some far-off planet.

MASTER:

~his agitation reaches its peak, and he lunges forward to pounce on the Doctor, pinning him down to the bed~ you’re still mine.

DOCTOR:

~seems only mildly taken off guard, his own anger leaving his voice~ yes, as I will be forever if you let me. And, in fairness, I suppose you had no way of knowing if I was ever going to wake up.

MASTER:

That’s right… ~speaks in a whisper through a cleched smile as he traces the Doctor’s jawline with his finger~ forever. Mine forever. Yes… ~sounds almost like a greedy serpent~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly though he’s a mixture of happy with his situation and afraid of the Master, decidedly playing off of the Master’s mood~ of course, Master; you know I could never bring myself to leave you.

MASTER:

~lets a smile spread across his face~ yes… of course… ~laughs a little madly~ yes, Master; yes, Master! ~suddenly changes from humored to entirely unamused~ what do you want from me?

DOCTOR:

~seems taken aback—both by the sudden mood swing and the question~ what do you mean?

MASTER:

~snarls~ you _want_ something from me, what is it!? ~pushes the Doctor more forcefully down into the bed, the pressure on his shoulders becoming painful~ why else would you act like that?

DOCTOR:

~grimaces slightly~ did you consider that maybe I meant it? Or perhaps, if I have to have an ulterior motive, I like seeing you happy?

MASTER:

~looks at the Doctor for a moment, then rolls off of him and sits beside him on the bed as he leans forward and rests his palm against his forehead, shaking his head side to side slowly~ I’ll never understand you…

DOCTOR:

Really? I always thought it was just the other way around, but I guess it’s mutual. ~brings his hands up behind his head, relaxing on the bed on his own accord now~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator on the other side of the room announces its arrival with a small ding~

ALIA:

~the Alia the Doctor most recently saw walks out, looking around the room in confusion until she sees the Doctor~ Daddy! ~runs up to him~ Daddy, I don’t know what’s going on… where are we?

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen slightly and he sits up~ Alia! The room… Alia, this is going to sound really odd, but tell me what you see other than me.

ALIA:

~looks around, confused for a moment~ I see… a weird room… and there’s Father. ~gestures to the Master~ what’s that, Father? ~stands up on her tiptoes to point to the Master’s cheek~

MASTER:

~quickly wipes off the mark from Saffron’s kiss~

DOCTOR:

Oh thank god. ~sighs out of relief~ alright; Alia, it would seem as if you’re in my dream aboard the Valiant. Have you seen your father anywhere but here? Again, I know this sounds bizarre.

ALIA:

Um… no. This is a dream? ~looks at the Doctor in more confusion~ what’s the Valiant?

MASTER:

~just stands up silently~

DOCTOR:

The Valiant’s a ship in Earth’s atmosphere—its story, I believe, is your Father’s to tell. And yes; this is what I saw when I was asleep for such a long time. ~turns to the Master~ so, are you going to help me figure this out, Master?

MASTER:

No. ~his gaze is blank, as his mind is elsewhere; gets up and takes hold of the chain connected to the Doctor’s collar as he walks past to the elevator, ignoring Alia~

DOCTOR:

~tries to stay where he is, his hands moving up to try to detach the chain from his collar~ Master, please, I want to be able to tell what’s real and what isn’t but I can’t; I need to figure this out, and I’d really like your help.

MASTER:

~hefts the chain over his shoulder with a forceful yank; the chain is attached to the Doctor’s collar with a lock~ I’m not interested in helping you. Now come along. ~continues walking, keeping a firm hold on the chain~

DOCTOR:

~stumbles towards the Master~ what happened to “I’m not leaving your side until you’re assured of reality”? ~turns his head to look at Alia~ find your Father—this isn’t the real him, tell your father I’m with the him from my dream, he’ll understand. And be careful, this place can be dangerous.

ALIA:

~protests~ But—Daddy-…

MASTER:

~pulls the Doctor into the elevator as he responds to his question~ I’m not going to, don’t worry. We just have some unfinished business.

DOCTOR:

~gives Alia a worried, sympathetic look, mouthing “tell father” before letting his gaze drop to the floor and speaking~ okay, Master.

MASTER:

~closes the elevator doors and shortens the chain so the Doctor will have to walk closer, putting his hands in his pockets until they arrive on the second floor and exit the elevator~ You have an order you need to fulfill. And this time I’ll have to babysit you.

DOCTOR:

~stops himself from commenting that apparently the Master puts chains on those he babysits, figuring his situation is his own fault~ turn the looms on, put the DNA samples in, get the panel—which is probably in the lab from before, bring it to [the coordinates GLaDOS gave him]. Right?

MASTER:

Yes. Exactly. ~sounds proud, but doesn’t look like he’s happy~ I’m glad you remembered. Lead the way. ~gestures ahead of them~

DOCTOR:

~goes into the hallway, walking down it at an average speed as—while he was told to lead—he doesn’t want to get so far ahead he chokes himself~

MASTER:

~keeps up with the Doctor until they get to the lab, opening the door for him and waiting for the Doctor’s next movement~

DOCTOR:

~takes the DNA samples that were in his pocket and starts towards the looms to turn them on and put the samples in~

MASTER:

~follows the Doctor, staying within range of the length of his chain but not interfering with what he’s doing, simply observing~

DOCTOR:

~glances behind the looms just to see if Heather’s still there, finishing up with them and finding the Master’s silence almost eerie~ you know, it seemed to me like you could see the Alia from the other reality just as well as I could.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room is exactly how the Doctor left it, with Heather still in the pod behind the looms~

MASTER:

What’s your point? ~reminds him~ the panel.

DOCTOR:

~nods a little begrudgingly as he heads over to get the panel Alia left~ isn’t that reality supposed to be in my head? If so, then how would you see it?

MASTER:

Perhaps it’s because we’re mentally linked that I was able to perceive your hallucination. ~tugs the chain gently to get the Doctor’s attention, leading him over to a spot beside the looms~ right here should be fine.

DOCTOR:

Then why would you continuously ask me what I was seeing when I was hallucinating before? I’m afraid it doesn’t add up. ~carries the panel with him~ and fine for the panel?

MASTER:

~grins as he follows the Doctor at a casual pace~ because it’s more fun to hear you say it. And yes, for the panel.

DOCTOR:

Alright, I suppose that does sound like you. ~sets the panel where the Master had gestured to, not questioning the coordinates~

MASTER:

~stands back and looks between the panel and the looms as if assessing the Doctor’s work~ is there anything else you need to do? ~glancing over at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Well, I had been told to take the panel to [coordinates], but you told me to put it here, so no…? ~seems a little afraid that he’s missing something~

MASTER:

~claps the Doctor on the back as a reassuring gesture~ it should be at the right coordinates if we hold course. You’ve done well.

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the Master’s praise, relaxing a bit~ alright. ~glances around the room briefly~ so, what now?

MASTER:

Well, I’d rather like to head to the main deck and check to make sure the Valiant _is_ on course. You’ll be coming with. ~turns to head out of the lab, now taking the lead~

DOCTOR:

~nods, easily following the Master within the chain’s range as he’s pretty much used to it~ you know, basic idea wide I did not lie, but if you take into account all the nuances, I’m not sure which reality I’d pick.

MASTER:

Is this about Saffron? ~leads them into the elevator, selecting the next floor up as he continues casually~ I can kill her if you like.

DOCTOR:

I really don’t care about your affairs that much—I mean, of course I care, but not to the extent to which I’d ask you to kill her.

MASTER:

~the elevator doors open to the main floor and he pauses~

ENVIRONMENT:

~across the room the Master (looking exactly like the other Master in his orange jumpsuit) is sitting up against the wall, kisses all over his face, looking completely out of sorts~

MASTER:

…oh… hi, there—was this woman, she… I don’t… ~seems to be trying to understand himself~ what?

DOCTOR:

Wow; I’m not sure I’ve ever wanting to beat up a lady more in my life—not kill her, just beat her unconscious… anyway, hello Master, I don’t believe I have to introduce you to yourself. The woman you encountered goes by the name of Saffron and thinks you’re this you. ~gestures to the Valiant Master~

MASTER:

~furrows his eyebrows~ what? Doctor, why are there… two of me?

VALIANT-MASTER:

~walks further into the room, holding the chain at a decent length so the Doctor can comfortably follow a few feet behind~

DOCTOR:

~follows, answering~ basically, you’re in what you know as my dream—I started in the elevator pointing a gun at your—his—head.

MASTER:

~gets to his feet, not once drawing the attention of the other Master~ what—why? What did I—he—do? ~starts to wipe his face off as the Doctor is brought up the stairs, going to follow him~

DOCTOR:

I told you that I killed you in one of my dreams, welcome to the dream—or reality. My biggest problem right now is I can’t tell. Also, apparently I never did. It was all some sort of Toclafane—induced hallucination according to this reality’s Master; as is this.

MASTER:

~once he’s wiped the lipstick off of his face, there’s virtually nothing to tell him apart from the other Master~ well, _I_ don’t remember any of this “dream”… I found myself here after the room with the smoke and mirrors. ~follows them up to the control panel~ did you see Alia?

VALIANT-MASTER:

~checks the control panel~

DOCTOR:

Yeah, but I was dragged away; I told her to try to find you. As for the smoke and mirrors detail, me too. ~seems to suddenly realize something~ Master—I mean, the Master originally from this dream-reality-thing: is the cell door to the Aperture portal closed?

VALIANT-MASTER:

~he looks over at the Doctor in mock surprise~ oh, we’re talking to _me_ now? ~grows serious again~ of couse I closed it behind me. I’m not careless. ~turns to start walking back down the steps, having checked the console~

DOCTOR:

Well I’m sorry; I know you’re both convinced that the other isn’t real but I can’t be sure. ~sighs slightly~ anyways, that’s good; unless she’s gone to the roof, I don’t think Alia can get herself too hurt in here…

MASTER:

~was at the bottom of the stairs and backs up to get out of the way of the other two~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~stops in his tracks after he takes a few steps toward the elevator, a smirk playing across his face~

DOCTOR:

Master…? ~gets worried by the Valiant Master’s actions, coming up next to him and looking between the two~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~takes his hand out of his pocket and looks over at the Master~

MASTERS:

~something seems to register between them as they both start chuckling~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~reaches over to the Doctor, handing him the end of his own chain~

DOCTOR:

~takes his chain, hopelessly perplexed by the two Masters and a little scared of this particular situation, curiously testing the link between him and the Master~

MENTAL:

~the link for both of the Masters feels open, making the Doctor’s mind feel a tad crowded while at the same time it’s obvious that the one’s thoughts are an echo of the other: “we could totally screw the Doctor over with this”~

DOCTOR:

~sighs in exasperation though he sounds like a kid who’s been tricked into an unfair game~ aw, come on, guys; don’t you think there are more pressing issues here? Like the fact that one of you isn’t real, or that Alia’s wandering about the Valiant by herself?

MASTERS:

Yes, ~they both respond in unison while still smiling deviously; they start to circle around each other as one speaks~ but it’s more fun anyway ~and the other finishes~ to play games while we work.

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand to the bridge of his nose~ this is going to be a long day… alright, you two, how the heck are we going to figure this out? We’ve got two realities, a missing Alia, another Alia, and two of you…

MASTERS:

Well; I have no ideas. ~they stop circling and the one who spoke looks over at the other, saying~ what about you? ~the second shrugs~ I’m on the same page as you! ~they both crack up~

DOCTOR:

If I survive this without a splitting headache it’ll be a miracle. ~shakes his head~ well let’s see if we can find Alia, that seems easiest. Last I saw her she was in your bedroom—you know which one I mean.

MASTERS:

~both nod, one speaks~ yes, of course. ~they frolic towards the elevator, giggling~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator opens suddenly and a voice calls~ Father—

VALIANT-ALIA:

~stops, looking up at the double Masters in front of her~ well, I suppose that suffices.

DOCTOR:

~walks to the elevator as well~ hi, Alia, have you seen—well, younger you—anywhere? I can explain this to both of you at once that way.

VALIANT-ALIA:

~looks between the Master, the Doctor, and the Master; speaks a little haughtily~ um… actually, I have. I was on my way to look for Father for her ~looks between them irritatedly now~ so one of you could explain what the hell is happening here.

DOCTOR:

I’ll explain, if solely not to have these two acting like Siamese twins. There are two realities—one made up by my mind, one that’s real. One of these two is the Master that runs the Valiant in this reality; the other comes from a reality in which I was only gone a few days and we’re still all stuck in Aperture. The other you is from that reality as well.

MASTERS:

~they turn to face the Doctor, moving and speaking in unison while grinning broadly~ so; which one of us is which, Doctor?

DOCTOR:

You’re literally the same person! ~despite his aggravation he immediately looks for a difference, accepting the challenge and glancing down at their feet once he remembers the broken glass~

MASTERS:

~both of their feet actually seem a little cut up, but neither of them are bleeding enough to treat blood onto the floor~

ALIA:

~holds the elevator door open~ this is ridiculous. Come on, all of you.

DOCTOR:

Indeed it is absolutely ridiculous, ~grins, stepping into the elevator~ but that’s why it’s fun.

MASTERS:

~they step in after the Doctor, one standing on either side of him~ did you figure it out? ~left Master places his hand on the Doctor’s shoulder while right Master does the same, but right Master also brings his other hand around the Doctor’s arm~

DOCTOR:

I can make an argument for either way around; like I said, you’re essentially the same person. I’d try telling the links apart first, but they echo each other mostly.

ALIA:

~gives a heavy sigh, selecting the second floor as the elevator closes and heads downward~

LEFT-MASTER:

There has to be _something_ different about us.

RIGHT-MASTER:

~nuzzles the Doctor’s shoulder slightly~

DOCTOR:

Oh I know there’s a difference, I can see it, it just took me this long to pin it to each reality. If I am correct, the Master on my left is the Master from the Valiant, and the one on my right is from the other reality.

MASTERS:

Very good! ~speaking in unison again until the elevator arrives on the second floor~ how’d you know? ~right Master asks while they both walk the Doctor outside, one Master on each arm~

DOCTOR:

Well, this reality’s Master tends to be more insistent and businesslike, but I can’t go on that alone. When the Master from the other reality nuzzled my shoulder, however, I knew; this reality’s Master wouldn’t do that on whim—he can be hands-y, but it’s almost like he considers himself above that.

RIGHT-MASTER:

~frowns, looking across at the other Master~ well, it’s your loss, mate.

LEFT-MASTER:

~frowns as well, protesting~ It’s not like I’m _not_ affectionate! ~tightens his hold around the Doctor’s arm possessively~

ALIA:

~walks out of the elevator, rolling her eyes and heading to the left~

DOCTOR:

~follows Alia~ you asked how I could tell and I told you. You’re both affectionate, just in different ways; that doesn’t mean I like one of you more than the other.

MASTERS:

~they both hurry after the Doctor, matching his stride as Alia leads them to a doorway, but the Masters stop as there’s the problem of the width of the doorway~

LEFT-MASTER:

Alright, let go please, ~left says to right~

RIGHT-MASTER:

~shoots back~ why don’t _you_ let go? Who put you in charge?

LEFT-MASTER:

~replies proudly~ Me!

DOCTOR:

Hey, I have a solution, you can both stop acting like 5-year-olds and let go for the two seconds it takes to get through the doorway.

MASTERS:

~they both grumble, letting the Doctor go so they can head through the door behind him, glancing at each other mischievously before linking arms with each other instead~

VALIANT-ALIA:

~leads them to a kitchen, where a few staff are milling about other Alia like she’s an adorable stray puppy~

ALIA:

Daddy! ~she weaves through them~ and—Father…s?

DOCTOR:

~smiles down at his daughter~ Alia, there are two realities here; one of them is from the reality you came from while the other comes from what you know as my dream. Also, this is older you from this reality, because in this one I was asleep for over a year.

ALIA:

Me? ~looks at the other, more mature Alia, starting to look terrified~ that means… regeneration…? ~looks like she’s about to have a panic attack, her breath quickening~

DOCTOR:

~kneels down, putting his hands on Alia’s shoulders to meet her gaze~ not future you, Alia, this is a separate reality, you’re not regenerating, it’s okay.

ALIA:

~holds onto the Doctor’s arms when he comes close, shivering and trying to calm herself down~

MASTER:

~one of the Masters comes down and kneels beside the Doctor, hushing her~ it’s alright, we’re both here to keep you safe…

ALIA:

~she sniffles and comes forward to hide in between her parents~

MASTER:

~gently brings an arm around her~

DOCTOR:

~does so as well, once again wishing he could just blow GLaDOS up~ it’s pretty safe here, too; minus the Toclafane, but the Master can deal with them. ~it being unclear exactly who he’s talking to~

ALIA:

~is pretty unwilling to speak by now~

MASTER:

~speaks softly~ she’s been having trouble coping with the trauma of regenerating so young… ~shakes his head slightly~ I still don’t know what they did to her.

DOCTOR:

~looks at the floor, bitterly angered~ me neither; all I know is the second they make one slip up in security they’re going to wish they hadn’t.

MASTER:

~brings his other arm across the Doctor’s back~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~walks up behind them~ now that we’ve found Alia, what next?

DOCTOR:

Well, I suppose we decide what’s reality and how to get back to it. ~wraps his arms around Alia to lift her up as he stands~

ALIA:

~he wraps her arms around him as well, tightly~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~paces slightly~ I can try to get rid of whatever’s making you see them. Let’s head down to the lab.

VALIANT-ALIA:

~turns to leave the room silently~

DOCTOR:

~turns to the Valiant Master~ I’m sorry, Master, but I’m really having a hard time believing your explanation. Maybe you could see my hallucinations through the link, but how could Alia see them? This reality’s Alia, I mean.

MASTER:

Come with me anyway. ~his tone seems less commanding, and more pleading~ I’d rather you know for certain that I’m not real than have you chasing a hallucinatory reality.

DOCTOR:

~seems a little surprised by the Master’s response, nodding slightly~ alright then. ~follows the Valiant Master~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~smiles a little, turning on his heel and walking back out of the kitchen~

MASTER:

~hesitates a moment before following behind the Doctor, the earlier game having been forgotten~

DOCTOR:

~briefly glances back to see the other Master following them, speaking to the Valiant Master~ though I do have to ask, how do you intend to check if they’re hallucinations?

VALIANT-MASTER:

~leading them past the sitting area and down the hallway to the lab, responds thoughtfully~ I could try counteracting them with a drug… of course I’m going to examine that cut to test my theory about the Toclafane.

DOCTOR:

Fine by me. I can’t know whether or not it’s bleeding by now, given my perception of time. ~doesn’t try to argue with the Master’s seemingly experimental approach to this~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~asks~ so how are you planning to get back to reality if this isn’t it?

ALIA:

~clings tightly to the Doctor, trying to hide in the Doctor’s chest~

MASTER:

~sees the Doctor’s chain dragging on the ground and picks it up so he doesn’t trip over it while carrying Alia~

DOCTOR:

~holds Alia tightly as a comforting gesture, resting his head on hers to comfort her mentally~ if this isn’t reality, it’s a test. If this is a test, it’ll end once GLaDOS gets whatever data she wants and probably not before then. Until we have reason to believe there’s some catch, I’ll assume this is an environmentally based test. In other words, I have no plan.

VALIANT-MASTER:

~walks into the lab, looking over at the Doctor~ alright, you’ll need to set her down for me to examine you. ~walks further into the room to open a cabinet under one of the counters~

DOCTOR:

You alright, Alia? I have to set you down now… ~sets her down next to where the other Master stands so she can latch onto him~

ALIA:

~nods hesitantly, going over to the nearest Master~

MASTER:

~he crouches down to hug her comfortingly~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~gestures for the Doctor to come over, holding a syringe and a cloth~

DOCTOR:

~walks over to the Valiant Master, not bothering to question anything but saying~ I assume you need to get into it. ~as he removes his makeshift bandage~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~smirks slightly~ good, thinking ahead. ~looks playfully skeptical as he brushes his fingers gently across the Doctor’s cheek, looking closely at his wound~ I thought I said not to assume, though.

DOCTOR:

Another difference between you two. You’ve returned the second I managed to get used to slightly different rules and a completely different reality. ~pauses before adding with a slight smile~ my apologies.

VALIANT-MASTER:

It’s quite alright. ~grimaces slightly at the depth of the cut, going over to a sink to wet the cloth and bring it back to blot the Doctor’s face~ you might need stitches for this.

DOCTOR:

Good thing I can get them in this reality, then; though I’m sure I’ll be fine either way. ~remembers the state of his feet in the other reality, muttering mostly to himself~ it’s too bad my condition doesn’t seem consistent…

VALIANT-MASTER:

~finishes cleaning the wound to his satisfaction, murmuring after a brief sniff~ it was definitely a poisoned blade… would’ve killed if you weren’t Timelord. ~picks up the syringe~ now, this should make all the uncertainties go away. Is that alright with you?

DOCTOR:

Better than not knowing, right? ~he almost doesn’t want to know just to keep the best of both worlds, to be lost in what may be two fantasies at once, but he nods~ yeah, go ahead.

VALIANT-MASTER:

~nods, injecting the syringe into the Doctor’s arm and administering all of the drug before stepping back and going to look for something to stitch up the Doctor’s face with~ I’d say we can be certain of what’s real or not in five minutes, at most. Or at least closer to the truth.

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~he watches the other Master and Alia, wondering if they’ll just fade into nothing in front of him, still not knowing what he’d prefer to happen~

RANI:

~a meow comes from the other side of the room as an orange tabby walks in~

MASTER:

~coaxes Alia into opening her eyes so she can look over at the cat~

ALIA:

~looks over at her in fascination; it come over and she pets it, smiling despite her distress~

DOCTOR:

~smiles warmly at his little family~ that’s… Rani, right? The cat. ~chuckles slightly~ reminds me of one from my travels that I got jealous of.

VALIANT-MASTER:

~turns around with a needle and a thread~ hm? ~looks at Rani, exasperated~ oh, get the cat out of here! She’s going to mess with my experiments.

ALIA:

~gives a sad look, scooping up the orange tabby in her arms~ she’s not hurting nobody…

DOCTOR:

Not hurting anybody, you mean. But seriously, Master, you can blame me if anything gets wrecked but how does it matter if it’s not real? I suppose if it has to do with your business partnerships we don’t want to mess with it, but the cat’s doing more good than harm at the moment.

VALIANT-MASTER:

Oh, alright… the cat can stay. ~steps over to stand in front of the Doctor, as he brings up the needle to start with the cut on the Doctor’s nose, murmuring~ this’ll make quite the scar…

ALIA:

~grins happily, cuddling with the cat~ yay!

RANI:

~she looks like she’s quietly enduring torture~

DOCTOR:

~stays still so the Master can work on the cut easily~ it’s a bit odd how the Toclafane thought killing me would do any good…

VALIANT-MASTER:

They often don’t think ahead. ~his position in front of the Doctor blocks his view of the other Master and Alia as he stitches up the wound~

DOCTOR:

Clearly. ~wonders if the position is purposeful or just because he was facing this way, not trying to sense the other Master and Alia~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~finishes with the stitches, tying off the string and setting the supplies back where he found them~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when he moves away, Rani is pacing alone in the spot where Alia and the Master had been~

DOCTOR:

Right then… I’ll get the cat out of the room. ~goes and picks up Rani, petting her as he carries her out of the room and sets her down~

RANI:

~she squirms and hisses at the Doctor while being carried, springboarding off of the Doctor’s arm with her back claws unsheathed and scratching him before running off~

DOCTOR:

Ow…! ~turns back away from the door after he closes it, walking towards the Master~ well, I suppose it’s settled, then. ~thinks it could still be GLaDOS’ doing, feeling as if he owes this Master the benefit of the doubt now~

MASTER:

~takes his wet cloth and walks over to the Doctor, holding his arm and cleaning the scratches from the cat~ I’ll need to go back to Aperture, but first I need to make sure you’re sorted, as I said earlier. Unfortunately, you’ve lost my trust and I’ll have to compensate for that.

DOCTOR:

~seems like he’s about to protest, but any argument he had dies on his tongue~ okay, Master.

MASTER:

~puts the cloth away, not feeling the need to bandage the small cuts~ good. Maybe, if you work hard enough, you’ll be able to gain my trust again. ~picks up the chain lead, shortening it again so the Doctor has to walk close~ but keep in mind, I’m not prone to forgiveness.

DOCTOR:

Yes, I know you aren’t. ~there’s a small, bitter emphasis on “you” when he speaks, easily adjusting to the smaller area in which he can stand~ but I’ll try my best.

MASTER:

~nods, starting to walk out into the hallway casually~ I obviously can’t let you have full access to the Valiant, so, you’ll be confined to my room.

DOCTOR:

Understood. ~follows the Master closely, figuring things are back to the way they were—he does what he’s told or not and the Master responds accordingly~ oh, perhaps I should tell you, Alia’s convinced you don’t care. It wasn’t me who convinced her, in fact I snapped at her a little over it, but I thought you should know.

MASTER:

Don’t care? Well, that depends; don’t care about what? ~heads down into the sitting room, briefly glancing out the observation window at the desolate world below~

DOCTOR:

About us. About Alia and I. ~avoids looking out the window at what’s left of Earth, focusing on the Master~

MASTER:

~pauses for a moment, stepping into the elevator and selecting the right floor before responding~ I care about your safety. Not necessarily your problems; that would take a bit too much effort. ~tilts his head slightly~ I have a caring impediment. Cut me some slack.

DOCTOR:

Fair enough. ~looks at the walls of the elevator thoughtfully~

MASTER:

~the elevator stops and he leads the Doctor out into the room, situating him in the center of the room and letting go of his chain~ stay right here. I need to search the room.

DOCTOR:

Okay. ~stays put exactly where the Master has him stand, thinking it’s a bit ridiculous but not arguing~

MASTER:

~walks around the room, taking the gun off of the table and holding onto it as he searches the drawers in his dresser and other compartments, heading over to the sitting area on the left side of the room to look in an end table before circling back around to the Doctor, a collection of various weapon-like items in his hands~

DOCTOR:

~watches the Master, speaking once he circles back to him~ is there anything I could do from here, or do you just want me to wait?

MASTER:

~smiles flatly~ I’d say it’s going to be a pret-ty boring six hours for you. ~turns, keeping his eye on the Doctor as he goes over to a painting on the wall and moves it aside, discreetly accessing a vault and storing the items inside~ I don’t believe it’s quite time for free-range yet, either. ~retrieves a pair of handcuffs~

DOCTOR:

Got it. At least I’m not in a cage this time. ~doesn’t move from where he is, simply because he wasn’t told he could, part of him wondering if the other Master and Alia can see him so easily submitting to this Master~

MASTER:

~walks back to the Doctor, taking his hand~ other people can come and go, so I’m sorry to say you might run into Saffron or Alia at some point. ~leads him over to the edge of the bed, walking around to the left side and pointing at the floor~ down.

DOCTOR:

~kneels next to the bed at the familiar command~ I probably won’t mind the company at that point.

MASTER:

~crouches to attach the cuffs to one of the Doctor’s wrists, bring his arms around the leg of the bed and cuff them together. Stands back up and strokes the Doctor’s hair wistfully~ I’ll be back in six hours. ~looks disappointed~ it saddens me to have to do this.

DOCTOR:

~looks up at the Master from where he kneels, speaking in a genuinely apologetic tone~ I’m sorry I’ve made it so you have to, Master.

MASTER:

~smiles, fondling the Doctor’s cheek before stepping away~ I’ll come see you as soon as I get back. Be good. ~walks off toward the lift~

DOCTOR:

I will. ~sits down where he is as it’s more comfortable than kneeling~

~•~

[00:23:50]

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Valiant shudders~

~•~

[00:05:12]

ALIA:

~runs into the room, looking around wildly and swearing with frustration~ {shit!}

DOCTOR:

What happened? ~speaks with worry as well as curiosity, looking over at Alia~

ALIA:

~shakes her head, looking at the Doctor bitterly~ he plans for _everything…_ ~scoffs and turns, about to walk back to the elevator~

DOCTOR:

Well I suppose I’ll hear about it or not once he gets back… it’s not like I’m able to help anything right now anyway.

ALIA:

That’s exactly what I mean. ~snarls, pausing in front of the elevator and decidedly turning back around to face the Doctor, her expression softening~ are you alright?

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly~ yeah, I’m fine. ~adds in an almost sorrowful tone~ not hallucinating anymore… there’s only one of everyone again, so that’s good.

ALIA:

~walks over, standing a few yards away from him~ so he’s convinced you this is reality?

DOCTOR:

Well… mostly. I can’t quite shake the fact that everyone could see them… ~leans back against the bed~ though maybe I just wish I had been there; even if I still end up here.

ALIA:

~turns slightly, giving the Doctor an empathetic look~ alright… ~pauses thoughtfully~ if you ever need anything… just call; I’ll be nearby the surveillance room.

DOCTOR:

Okay; thanks. ~doesn’t know how he’d call Alia from here but leaves that issue be as he’s pretty sure he won’t need her in the position he’s in~

ALIA:

~nods, turns and leaves the room, seeming troubled~

DOCTOR:

And if you need me, it’s pretty obvious where I’ll be—oh and you might not want to change the Valiant’s course this time around, it has something to do with that panel from before.

ALIA:

I know that, Dad. ~sighs with exasperation as the elevator doors close behind her~

DOCTOR:

Just making sure… ~goes back to thinking to himself, finding himself debating whether or not this reality is reality—after all, if it is a test, GLaDOS could surely alter whether or not he can see the Master and Alia~

~•~

[03:21:00]

ENVIRONMENT:

~a voice suddenly comes from behind the Doctor, belonging to a person who hadn’t been there before~ it was awfully rude of you to kick us out like that.

DOCTOR:

What!? ~scrambles to look behind him, thinking that no one could be in this room, yet at the same time they have to be~

MASTER:

~is sitting on the bed, looking at the Doctor~ you kicked us out. Well, I suppose it wasn’t you, really.

DOCTOR:

~smiles even though he doesn’t know whether or not this means he’s gone completely insane~ Master! Believe me, I wouldn’t willingly kick you and Alia out of here.

MASTER:

~shrugs~ it’s probably— ~stops abruptly as the elevator opens~

SAFFRON:

~walks out, pausing by the table~ hello; do you mind if I’m here for a while? I know the Master’s out and I heard he left you in here all alone…

DOCTOR:

~glances briefly at the Master before begrudgingly speaking to Saffron~ I suppose that’s fine… ~knowing she can’t see the Master now—so he’s insane or that’s what GLaDOS wants him to think~

MASTER:

~disappears when the Doctor looks away~

SAFFRON:

~smiles and walks over to sit on the edge of the bed~ I’m sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way earlier… I’m not even sure what I did.

DOCTOR:

I know how the Master can be, I know you consider yourself more than his friend… but do you know who I am?

SAFFRON:

~looks confused~ well, you’re the Doctor. The Master used your DNA variations to loom me.

DOCTOR:

~looks up at her in surprise~ well _that_ is something he failed to tell me. ~looks down at the floor~ forgive me for my behavior towards you… understand that I’ve gotten jealous over a clipboard before.

SAFFRON:

Jealous? ~chuckles uncertainly~ I don’t seem to follow…

DOCTOR:

You walk in, kiss the Master, leave, and then kiss the other Master—yeah, there were two but there aren’t anymore. I’m the Master’s significant other, so you can see how I’d get a bit frisky.

SAFFRON:

~looks taken aback~ oh; I’m so sorry! He didn’t… didn’t tell me… ~looks at the floor, resting her fingertips on her forehead~ how long?

DOCTOR:

Well, I was in a coma for a year, so a pretty long time… though I knew the Master long before we were together. ~sighs, looking back up at Saffron~ I don’t blame you, nor am I really surprised that the Master avoided bringing me up.

SAFFRON:

~rests her hands in her lap, smiling slightly and shaking her head~ men are so bothersome.

DOCTOR:

I agree with you wholeheartedly. ~responds in a good-humored tone~

SAFFRON:

~chuckles, sighing~ how long did he say he was going to be gone? ~looks over at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Six hours; though I can’t tell how long ago he said that.

SAFFRON:

~looks down at the Doctor and the fact that he’s cuffed to the bed~ keeping you chained up like that doesn’t seem like a very loving thing to do.

DOCTOR:

I may be his lover, but the Master still has an operation to run; I disobey, I lose trust, I get punished.

SAFFRON:

~adopts a sympathetic look, sliding closer to the Doctor and comfortingly petting his head~ … I couldn’t imagine living such a lifestyle. ~speaking softly~

MASTER:

~crawls around behind her, leaning forward and waving his tongue next to her ear mockingly~

DOCTOR:

~stifles a chuckle at the Master, shaking his head~ it’s fine, I’m quite familiar with it all… and I’ve been through worse.

SAFFRON:

~takes her hand away, simply leaning over to talk to him now~

MASTER:

~puts two fingers above her head~

SAFFRON:

You said you disobeyed… what was it you did? ~seems hesitant to ask~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the Master’s actions~ I refused to set up the looms—which was a direct order.

SAFFRON:

~looks mildly confused by the Doctor’s smile~ do you know what he’s planning to do with the looms?

MASTER:

~moves to the side to sit beside her, exaggeratedly mimicking her posture and expression~

DOCTOR:

~giggles, quickly recovering himself~ sorry, sorry; it seems to me like he’s making Timelords en masse for his new Gallifrey. I don’t know, that’s just my guess.

MASTER:

~grins at his success in getting the Doctor to laugh~

SAFFRON:

~smiles slightly and looks confused~ alright; what’s so funny?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head slightly~ nothing you can see; the Toclafane poisoned me, I’m hallucinating. The only problem with that theory is the Master that is supposedly real treated that, so chances are I’m a madman.

MASTER:

~forgets his humorous actions and leans down to the edge of the bed, pouting at the Doctor in protest~ you’re not mad! That’s my job! ~puts a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder abruptly~

DOCTOR:

 _I_ don’t think you’re a hallucination, but what am I supposed to say if she can’t see you!? Besides, in the end, I think we’re both at least a little mad, if in different ways.

SAFFRON:

~looks behind her, and around the room to see who the Doctor’s talking to, growing concerned~ we’re the only ones here, Doctor. Are you sure you’re alright?

MASTER:

~when she speaks the Master disappears again in the blink of an eye~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head~ as I said, I’m hallucinating and talking to someone you can’t see. I’ll bring it up to the real Master when he comes back.

SAFFRON:

~smiles slightly~ alright. ~stands up~ would you like me to bring you something? Have you eaten since you woke up?

DOCTOR:

~seems surprised by the question~ I suppose, technically speaking, I haven’t… but you really don’t have to get me anything, I wouldn’t be able to tell whether or not it was real if you did. Besides, I can’t move my hands.

SAFFRON:

~sighs~ okay, I suppose we’ll have to wait for the Master to get back. I’ll at least check the time for you… ~walks further into the room, opening a drawer and peering into it briefly~ he should be back in about two more hours, based on his normal schedule…

DOCTOR:

Alright. Thanks… sorry again for how quickly I judged you; I just assumed you knew. ~looks down at the floor, thinking of how she could’ve been killed because of his angered assumptions~

SAFFRON:

Knew… about you and the Master? ~looks somewhat distressed, shaking her head~ I couldn’t’ve had a relationship with someone already in one. Though I suppose you had every right to assume the worst…

DOCTOR:

I can see that now, I’m just glad I didn’t absolutely snap on you. It should be mentioned that I was completely comatose for a year, so the Master probably thought I was a lost cause… he wasn’t just being insensitive or uncaring.

SAFFRON:

~nods, closing the drawer~ I understand. ~smiles slightly~ maybe we can learn to get along now. ~turns toward the elevator~ I have to go; there’s a lot of preparations to be made. You’ll be fine by yourself?

DOCTOR:

Okay. I’ll be fine—bored, but fine. ~smiles back at Saffron as he speaks, waving slightly in farewell with a restrained hand~

SAFFRON:

~waves back~

MASTER:

~once she leaves he speaks mockingly into the Doctor’s ear from behind him, coming out of the blue~ want me to make you something to eat, honey?

DOCTOR:

~flinches out of surprise~ oh shut up, you’re the one who had affairs with her; I hardly know the woman!

MASTER:

 _Me?_ ~crawls over to sit slightly to the Doctor’s right, looking taken aback, then theatrically proud~ I’m a loyal man who has a history of only occasionally betraying my lovers.

DOCTOR:

~laughs at the Master’s display~ either way, if you’re not this reality’s Master, then it wasn’t exactly you, was it?

MASTER:

My point, exactly. ~makes a scooping gesture in time with his pauses, continuing with a smile~ so, do you really think you might be going insane?

DOCTOR:

The way I’m seeing it, I’m either hallucinating without any possible cause other than my mental state or in a test… heck, I might still be comatose for all I know.

MASTER:

There’s always that. ~shrugs, staying quiet for a while~

DOCTOR:

~relaxes back against the bed~ I do _want_ you to be real, don’t get me wrong…

MASTER:

~folds his arms indignantly~ and what would your precious other Master say if he heard you wishing for an imaginary Master?

DOCTOR:

He’d probably get all indignant and huffy, a bit like you right now; maybe hurt, though I doubt he’d show it… and then I’d explain that it’s not all about you or him, it’s about the two realities and being able to be there for you and Alia and so many other factors.

MASTER:

~unfolds his arms and comes forward to wrap them around the Doctor instead, nuzzling the Doctor’s shoulder blade and resting his head on the nape of the other Timelord’s neck, his distress tangible through the link as he speaks in a half-whisper~ he’s made you into a machine…

DOCTOR:

~tries to comfort the Master mentally as he can’t do much physically~ what do you mean…?

MENTAL:

~all he gets mentally is a somewhat confused brushing-off from the other Master, saying he’s busy~

MASTER:

You just… respond to commands like a computer, with full data analysis and no questions asked…

DOCTOR:

~looks at the ground, realizing he’s doing exactly what he’s been accused of~ you’re right… I didn’t even question orders when they were relayed through GLaDOS herself…

MASTER:

~sighs, speaking quietly~ you see what I mean. ~looks up, resting his cheek on the Doctor’s neck and closing his eyes~ it’s… unsettling.

DOCTOR:

~avoids several responses that could have also fit the description before responding~ well… I don’t know how to stop, really…

MASTER:

And I suppose I can’t do anything to help if I’m not real. ~seems defeated and a little irritable~

DOCTOR:

Well, I’m not entirely convinced you aren’t… and I could make the other Master see and her you even if you are my hallucination.

MASTER:

~sighs lightly and goes silent, simply leaning on the Doctor wearily~

DOCTOR:

~lets the room go silent—clearly talking isn’t helping and he can’t seem to get to this Master mentally~

~•~

MASTER:

~is startled into disappearing again when the elevator opens~

ALIA:

~comes out holding a struggling cat~ the stupid cat got into the lift on my way up.

DOCTOR:

~looks over at Alia, unable to stop himself from thinking about how the other Alia reacted to the cat~ well she doesn’t like me any more than you, I can tell you that.

ALIA:

~walks over and sits on the ground at the base of the bed, setting Rani in her lap and petting her until she accepts her fate~ she’s just a bit frisky sometimes. She’ll sit still for the Master, though.

DOCTOR:

I guess that’s something I can understand…. ~wonders whether Alia has business here or came for him~ hey, I know it might be hard to remember, but do you think I act differently from how I did before the coma? Beyond all of the hallucinations and mental alteration crap, I mean.

ALIA:

~pauses, looking distantly thoughtful as she tries to think back~

RANI:

~takes the opportunity to crawl out of her lap~

ALIA:

Well… yes. The Master’s different too, as am I. Time changes people.

DOCTOR:

~looks at Alia, letting himself look as distressed as he is~ it was twelve hours for me; I hardly changed over hundreds of years despite the fact that I never stood still.

ALIA:

~gives the Doctor a concerned look~ is there something bad about that?

DOCTOR:

Well it can’t be time that’s changed me, so it was probably the Master, and if it was the Master, there’s nothing accidental about it in the slightest. I’m hardly the Doctor if I’m helping inflict cruelty out of cowardice and constantly giving up and giving in to him and GLaDOS and everyone else.

ALIA:

~glances at the floor~ I can’t say I disagree with you there.

RANI:

~hops up onto the bed, lying down near the Doctor’s head and batting at his hair~

ALIA:

But maybe this is something you should bring up to the Master.

DOCTOR:

And get myself chained up for longer. No; if I’m going to go back to being the Doctor, I have to do it on my own accord and when I’m in a position to… until then I suppose I’ll do what I actually know how to do and stay the Master’s… machine.

ALIA:

~frowns slightly~ where’d you get that from? He might not be the most considerate of Timelords, but I’m certain he holds you in a higher regard than that.

DOCTOR:

~speaks a little absently~ yes, I’m sure he does… I wasn’t talking about what I am to him.

RANI:

~jumps down and circles on the Doctor’s lap, rubbing against his arm~

ALIA:

~looks at him in concern, speaking softly~ I won’t tell him, then.

DOCTOR:

~smiles briefly at Rani before responding to Alia~ thanks… sorry you had to hear my rant; I felt the need to run it by someone who wasn’t likely to be a hallucination.

ALIA:

It’s fine. ~smiles slightly~ it’s actually a little refreshing to interact with someone else who has emotions.

DOCTOR:

Ever- ~stops himself from spewing a whole other analysis, saying instead~ I know what you mean.

ALIA:

~looks down at the floor, playing with the carpeting for a while before speaking again~ well, anyway, Father should be back soon. He’s always either early or late… There’s a lot for me to do.

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly~ alright then, don’t let me keep you from your responsibilities.

ALIA:

~nods back, coming to her feet and looking at the cat in the Doctor’s lap~ are you fine with Rani keeping you company?

DOCTOR:

Sure! I like cats as long as they don’t upstage me or disease thousands—though those are stories for another time, I suppose.

ALIA:

~looks surprised, chuckling in amusement~ alright. ~waves before walking back into the elevator~

RANI:

~circles in the Doctor’s lap again, inconsiderately stepping on his groin~

DOCTOR:

~flinches with a small grunt of surprise, shifting slightly so the cat steps off of his groin, looking at her in irritation~

RANI:

~looks back up at the Doctor blankly, licking her muzzle before going back to rubbing her head against the Doctor’s arm, turning to stand parallel to it and brush herself along the Doctor’s sleeve before noticing his hands, leaning down to lick them while her tail arches up into the Doctor’s face~

DOCTOR:

~moves his head so his face isn’t covered with cat tail otherwise remaining still and letting the cat do what she will~

RANI:

~seems satisfied with how much she’s groomed the Doctor’s hand, curling back up on the Doctor’s lap and contentedly swishing her tail back and forth as she prepares to nap~

DOCTOR:

~smiles down at Rani, speaking softly~ you’re nice when you’re not clawing my arm, aren’t you?

RANI:

~opens her eyes to glance up at the Doctor before setting her head back down and drifting off to sleep~

DOCTOR:

~sits still once again, thinking through everything—does he even _want_ to go back? How, why, when…?~

~•~

ENVIRONMENT:

~his train of thought is interrupted when the elevator arrives and the door slides open again~

MASTER:

~steps out, bringing a commanding presence with him~

DOCTOR:

~sits up, fixing his posture as a soldier would around their general, looking up at the Master and smiling a little~ you’re back…!

RANI:

~quickly bolts away when the Doctor speaks~

MASTER:

~walks a few steps closer, seeming a little unsteady on his feet with his hands noticeably bloody, dust making his face and clothes look a slightly lighter shade~ of course I’m back. How did it go?

DOCTOR:

~looks concerned for the Master’s current state as he answers~ boring, for the most part. I talked to Saffron, Alia, Rani, myself… my hallucination—so, how was Aperture.

MASTER:

~walking slowly to keep his balance, chuckles as he makes his way over to the Doctor~ brutal, as always. ~gets down beside the Doctor, almost falling, and takes out a key to unlock the Doctor’s handcuffs with~ hallucination, did you say? ~looks at the Doctor in concern~

DOCTOR:

Yes; they’re not so consistent or realistic, but it’s usually the other you and no one else can see him anymore… he’s not here right now, though. ~moves his hands around so they’re in front of him once he can, standing and silently offering his assistance as the Master seems quite unsteady~

MASTER:

~doesn’t take the Doctor’s assistance, standing up on his own and smiling at the Doctor after maintaining his balance~ I’m going to get changed and cleaned up; how about then we sit down for a meal? We can discuss my plans. Besides, you must be hungry.

DOCTOR:

Sounds like a plan. ~smiles back at the Master, finding the ability to move more than welcome~ and yes, I am.

MASTER:

~takes a step closer to the Doctor, looking up at him while being careful not to get the blood on his hands on the Doctor, speaking silkily with a hint of longing~ oh, say my name, won’t you Doctor?

DOCTOR:

~responds in a flirtatious tone~ of course, Master. ~decidedly rolling with the Master’s moods~

MASTER:

~brings a non-bloody knuckle to the Doctor’s face, softly running the back of his hand down the Doctor’s cheek as he closes his eyes blissfully~ hm… you know how much I love it when you say my name…

DOCTOR:

~lets himself nuzzle the Master’s hand slightly~ if I didn’t know that by now, it would mean I haven’t paid attention to my Master.

MASTER:

~smiles, opening his eyes and taking his hand away as he steps back~ alright; you can head down to the lobby, and I’ll meet you there.

DOCTOR:

Okay. ~heads to the elevator with a slight wave~ see you then. ~selects the second floor once he’s in the elevator~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the doors close~

MASTER:

~tickles the Doctor’s neck from behind as the elevator is moving downward~

DOCTOR:

~squeaks and stumbles over himself in his haste to turn around, regaining his composure as he speaks~ could you appear in plain sight for once!?

MASTER:

~looks thoughtful~ it would be less fun without the element of surprise.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator arrives in the empty lounge~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, walking out and starting to pace aimlessly around the place~ I suppose that’s true.

MASTER:

~walks behind the Doctor, the elevator doors closing on his foot though it moves through him harmlessly~ I can’t seem to find Alia.

DOCTOR:

I’m not sure I can help with that, considering how much you disappear and reappear.

MASTER:

Well, that’s because I didn’t get that injection. I’ve made the educated guess that you’re consistently in the controlled dream state because of that fact… ~walks over to the couch, spreading himself out on top of it~

DOCTOR:

~starts to get frustrated by the whole situation~ but which one am I supposed to believe!?

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor, shrugging~ how am I supposed to convince you?

DOCTOR:

I don’t know! I’d say certain things in this reality seem highly unlikely, but my entire life is made up of unlikely events! I’d say you seem like a hallucination, but if you’re right, that’s completely irrelevant!

MASTER:

~sighs~ you’ll have to make your own evaluation of reality; the way She’s set it up, there’s no way for either me or the other Master to really convince you which is which when we’re in limbo like this.

DOCTOR:

Fine then… I suppose, since I have no other way or knowing for sure, I’ll go for the reality I want. You, my possibly hallucinatory partner, win. Got any ideas on how to get out that are better than wait it out or murder?

MASTER:

Well… ~he disappears yet again as the elevator opens~

VALIANT-MASTER:

~steps out, looking in much better condition than before, having changed out of his jumpsuit and into his regular outfit~

DOCTOR:

~looks over at the deemed-to-be-fake Master, smiling as the other Timelord does look better off—even if it’s just because he’s clean~

MASTER:

~sighs happily~ it’s good to be back. ~steps over to the Doctor, offering his arm with a polite tilt of his head~ shall we?

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand to the Master’s arm, nodding slightly~ let’s. ~standing close to the Master~

MASTER:

You seem troubled. Is there something on your mind? ~speaks purely out of concern, walking over to the door Alia had led them through earlier~

DOCTOR:

~sighs slightly~ someone made up by my mind is more accurate. It’s hard to ignore a hallucination when-… when you can’t really be certain-… when you’re—he’s—still trying to convince me that this still isn’t reality.

MASTER:

~walks past the kitchen, trying to make himself a comforting presence both physically and mentally as he walks close to the Doctor~ I’m sure if we give it time, things will become more certain… meanwhile, I will devote the whole of my free time to finding a better way to prove to you which is reality.

DOCTOR:

~leans into the Master slightly, speaking in a soft tone~ thank you, Master… you don’t have to do that for me.

MASTER:

Of course I do. Stops before the double doors at the end of the small hallway, turning to face the Doctor~ I strive to make sure you’re happy with the situation you’re in, and preferably sane as well. I care about you very much…

DOCTOR:

~seems a little surprised once again by the Master’s emotion, abruptly hugging the other Timelord before backing off into his initial position, still smiling as he regains his composure~

MASTER:

~he himself is surprised by the Doctor’s actions, though he smiles faintly after a moment~ are you alright?

DOCTOR:

Yes… it’s just that I know you, and between what Alia had said about you not caring and what the other Master said about the drug it wasn’t just what’s reality that was troubling me—granted, reality is and was my main concern. But I can be certain that you’re being genuine even if you’re not real.

MASTER:

~smiles proudly, opening the door and stepping into a dining room with a table that’s already set with fresh food and two places that are across from each other~ I don’t think I’d like having to let you go if I turned out not to be real.

DOCTOR:

~starts towards the table, looking at the table and starting to feel the fact that he hasn’t eaten in over a year~ and I wouldn’t like having to leave you… although, since this would be my dream, I suppose I wouldn’t have to leave permanently.

MASTER:

~reassures the Doctor that he didn’t let him simply starve while he was asleep; he did receive liquid meals occasionally~ even then, who’s to say you would have the same dream more than once? ~steps over to one side of the table, politely pulling out a chair for the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly and sits down~ it’s possible; I’ve done it before… not necessarily on purpose, but still…

MASTER:

~walks around to the other side of the table, pulling out a chair for himself~ anyway; let’s not dwell on reality for the moment. Big changes are coming.

DOCTOR:

Oh right; your plan! ~sounds genuinely interested—and quite happy to change the subject~

MASTER:

~smiles at the Doctor’s enthusiasm~ yes, my plan. The hardest part will be the terraforming and construction, but I hope I’ll have you to help me with that. ~gestures to the food on the table, including a bowl of fruits from earth, a soup and a fanciful main dish~ help yourself.

DOCTOR:

~fills his plate with various items from the table as he speaks~ I did see some amazing terraforming technology once; within hours it covered an entire planet that was previously near uninhabitable. It was just energy in a glass sphere, but it worked.

MASTER:

~looks interested~ do you have any idea how it worked? I have limited resources on this planet but I might be able to get what we need if I send someone on a supply run. Maybe Alia.

DOCTOR:

I scanned it just to make sure I was making matters better instead of worse by breaking it… I’m not entirely sure how to make it, but I can certainly try… could probably even specify what _kind_ of plants grow based on nutritional needs.

MASTER:

You don’t have to build the exact same thing, just something to make the process easier would be appreciated. ~takes some food to start eating~

DOCTOR:

That, I’m certain I can do. ~starts eating the food he put on his plate, once again forcing himself to pace himself~ however, construction unfortunately can’t build itself… or could it? No, I’m not going to test that theory.

MASTER:

Unfortunately? ~pauses to look over at the Doctor~ all you would have to do was design it, and I can have others do the constructing once we’ve created a large enough population.

DOCTOR:

I’m just saying it’d be cool if it did. I also think it’d be cool to find a star that burned cold—that doesn’t mean it’s possible or would even be a good thing.

MASTER:

~ponders that for a moment, then continues to eat~ so naturally we’ll get the terraforming and construction finished before we move on to the next stage, which involves the armada I mentioned earlier.

DOCTOR:

~eats between statements~ the one not to destroy the universe, but to rule it; I remember.

MASTER:

Yes, destroying the universe would be pointless. ~glances upward thoughtfully, revising his statement~ well, I might have to use it to destroy the particularly threatening planets.

DOCTOR:

I have more than a few favors I have yet to collect from plenty of races that could come in handy—you might not have to take everything by force.

MASTER:

~smiles at the Doctor approvingly~ good thinking; yes, as long as I don’t have to place my trust in anyone who could overthrow me.

DOCTOR:

Of course. ~thinks through thousands of alien races he’s familiar with along with their strengths and weaknesses, easily finding places for a number of them~

MASTER:

~eats quietly for a moment before another thing comes to him~ ah, and I’m going to make sure the paradox machine is in the most secure place on the planet. If it fails, the whole thing falls apart.

DOCTOR:

Yes; the security on it will eventually need to be able to guard it against any technology alien or otherwise. Speaking of which, once you have your empire built up, how do you intend to govern it?

MASTER:

Probably a dictatorship, possibly a monarchy. I can alter the population’s subconscious ideals with the telepathic field, so things should go smoothly. ~sets his utensil down and leans forward slightly, focusing on the Doctor with a sly smile~ and you can be my second in command, if you’ll have me.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at the Master~ of course I will. ~finding he doesn’t dislike any part of this deal—though of course he’d have the Master either way~

MASTER:

~finishes up what’s on his plate~ excellent. ~stands up~ if there’s anything at all you want to change, please don’t be afraid to tell me.

DOCTOR:

I won’t. ~scrapes up and eats what’s left of his food~ so, what now? Should I start on plans for the terraforming tech?

MASTER:

That would be nice. But, I think there are more pressing issues at hand. ~pushes his chair in, walking over to the Doctor’s side of the table~

ENVIRONMENT:

~kitchen staff enter the room to clear the dishes~

MASTER:

Come with me. ~his tone is almost gravely playful~

DOCTOR:

~stands to follow the Master~ okay. ~getting a little uneasy but managing to keep a casual tone~

MASTER:

~glances back to be sure the Doctor’s following before walking off toward the lab~ do you mind if I conduct some experiments?

DOCTOR:

As it pertains to my hallucination? Well… I don’t know… last time you drugged me it just made my hallucinations less realistic—which is—you have to admit—a little odd…

MASTER:

It did exactly as it was supposed to do. ~seems confused by the Doctor’s distrusting nature~ maybe they’re not completely gone because I was giving you a sparing dose, just in case something went awry.

DOCTOR:

Master, you have to understand that I still can’t know for sure whether or not this is a test… until I know that, I have every reason to be wary of your experiments as they could just as easily be Her’s. I trust you, it’s Her I’m suspicious of.

MASTER:

~turns to face the Doctor, smiling knowingly as he brings his hands to the Doctor’s arms~ alright then. No experiments.

DOCTOR:

~relaxes, smiling back at the Master out of relief~ thank you.

MASTER:

~shakes his head as if denying the Doctor’s thanks~ anything to help convince you I’m not part of a dream made by a sadistic AI.

DOCTOR:

If it makes you feel any better, you seem to consistently be the key to getting out—! ~seems hit by his own statement, suddenly distressed~

MASTER:

~is caught off-guard by the Doctor’s sudden change in tone, stepping forward and gripping his arms faintly as he asks with great concern~ what is it?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head, seeming to calm himself down a little~ nothing I’m going to do… and nothing that matters, because this is real, right?

MASTER:

~relaxes his grip, giving a relieved smile~ yes, this is reality. ~wraps his arms around the Doctor’s neck loosely, pulling him close into a tender kiss~

DOCTOR:

~kisses the Master back, bringing his arms around him as if convince himself of his statement~

MASTER:

~breaks the kiss after a moment, smiling and holding the Doctor close to himself, whispering in the Doctor’s ear~ how about that treat I talked about earlier? I trust you were good while I was gone?

DOCTOR:

~smiles happily, answering softly~ yes, Master. ~though he’s not entirely sure how he could’ve been particularly bad while chained up like that, he doesn’t dare question it~

MASTER:

~grins, bringing his hands around to hold the Doctor’s chain and walking to the elevator with him~ you know, I have started terraforming already. How about a visit to the surface?

DOCTOR:

Sounds good to me! ~finds it’s only getting easier to stay here the way he is, not dwelling on the thought~

MASTER:

~moves the elevator to the top floor, walking out onto the desk of the aircraft carrier, leading the Doctor by his chain~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the weather is now sunny and warm~

DOCTOR:

Ah; it’s nice out—especially compared to how windy it was before. ~easily follows the Master within the reach of his chain~

MASTER:

Yes; seems the weather is on our side. ~approaches one of the planes~

TOCLAFANE:

~three Toclafane materialize behind the Doctor to follow them~

DOCTOR:

You know, materialization makes noise, you’re not sneaky. ~sounds agitated and a bit on-edge as he now knows the Toclafane can make him hallucinate~

MASTER:

They’re not trying to be sneaky; they’re tagging along for safety. ~speaks as he opens the door to the nearest aircraft~

DOCTOR:

~is about to make a sarcastic remark about feeling safe around something that was previously very eager to tear him apart, but decides it’s probably good to have them tag along~ okay.

MASTER:

~lets go of the Doctor’s chain, handing it to him and gesturing to the passenger side~ I doubt we’ll be seeing trouble from them again.

DOCTOR:

~takes his chain and sits down where the Master gestured to, speaking with a certain level of relief~ that’s good.

MASTER:

~situates himself in the pilot’s seat, closing the door~

TOCLAFANE:

~they materialize in the back~

MASTER:

~turns the engines on~ unfortunately we’ll have to use the more primitive form of transportation.

DOCTOR:

I don’t mind—once, I was on this train and some sort of alien stopped the train and started reading and taking over minds as a way to gain information. It would repeat anything it heard said… I never saw its body if it even had one.

MASTER:

~smiles without interest~ I’m sure you have plenty of great stories to tell. Strap in. ~dons a headset, setting up the aircraft and moving it out to the runway~

DOCTOR:

~does as he’s told, continuing despite the Master’s disinterest~ it even got in my head—needless to say it wasn’t my finest hour—and I was almost thrown out and killed. Fearful humans are horribly irrational.

MASTER:

~doesn’t respond to the Doctor, focusing on the task of orienting the plane and occasionally speaking into the headset before driving forward, increasing speed until the aircraft lifts off of the runway~

DOCTOR:

~gives up on his story, knowing the Master simply doesn’t care about it~

MASTER:

~once they’ve cleared the Valiant and they’re on their way up, he shifts his headset off of one ear, smiling and briefly glancing at the Doctor~ sorry; now we can talk.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at the Master~ it’s fine. So, where on Earth are we headed?

MASTER:

~chuckles at the Doctor’s wording~ the New Citadel. It’s where we’ll move in once it’s fully built; ~smiles~ the forests surrounding it are fully terraformed. The humans called the area France.

DOCTOR:

Ah yes; pretty uptight and judgmental, most of the French were… good parties, though. I’d say great, but I’m pretty sure I was a little drunk.

ENVIRONMENT:

~they seem to be flying over an ocean currently~

MASTER:

What was this about Antoinette Poisson? ~smirks slightly, keeping his gaze forward~

DOCTOR:

She was at the party, if that’s what you’re asking.

MASTER:

When you were reprimanding me about Saffron you mentioned her as a reason why you shouldn’t be the one to talk.

DOCTOR:

Honestly? I _think_ we had an affair, but I was very drunk. ~chuckles at himself~ apparently I didn’t make much of a fool out of myself, though, because she still asked to travel with me afterwards.

MASTER:

~raises his eyebrows slightly in amused surprise~ I didn’t think you were one to drink so heavily. ~chuckles~ at least when I’m not around.

DOCTOR:

I’m not usually one to drink at all, but everything they had was alcoholic so, you know, when in Rome.

MASTER:

~nods with a slight smile, changing a few things on the dashboard~

TOCLAFANE:

~one of the Toclafane hesitantly hovers forward a little, speaking~ *Master?*

MASTER:

~makes a point of ignoring it~

DOCTOR:

~smirks slightly before speaking~ though I can’t seem to land in Rome. I think the TARDIS is worried I’ll try to save the gladiators or something.

MASTER:

~laughs, then his smile fades and he looks somewhat somber~ yes, well, I get the feeling time travel is something we’ll have to live without from now on.

DOCTOR:

~frowns, looking at the airplane floor~ I suppose you’re right… ~shakes his head, forcing back thoughts of his poor TARDIS~ nothing to be done about that, though.

MASTER:

~nods solemnly~ probably not. It would be going against the terms of the deal… ~trails off thoughtfully, mentioning to the Doctor mentally that he might just decide to get rid of Aperture once he’s powerful enough~

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly, having already thought of what the Master mentioned though it doesn’t seem to help his mood~ well… the TARDIS understands we can’t risk it for her, I’m sure… She’d probably be devastated if she knew what I’m helping you do anyway.

MASTER:

Hopefully, by the end we’ll be growing new TARDISes to use in the expansion of the Timelord Empire. ~smiles slightly~ I’m sure we could get one made with a similar personality to hers.

DOCTOR:

~sighs, stopping himself from getting angry at the Master though he’s sure he could feel it mentally anyway~ my moral stand may have shifted, Master, but—while I’d happily travel time and space with you in any TARDIS—no TARDIS will be treated as a replacement for mine.

MASTER:

~stops smiling, seeming apologetic for not considering the Doctor’s feelings~ of course. I must’ve gotten ahead of myself, please excuse me.

DOCTOR:

It’s fine… ~smiles faintly, looking at the Master~ I have you and Alia, that’s what matters right now.

MASTER:

~changes course, starting a gradual descent as he comments with amusement~ you know, the Timelords I plan to loom will all, in a way, be one big family. ~glances at the Doctor, winking~ that’s a lot of kids.

DOCTOR:

~grins back, speaking in a semi-joking tone~ you are aware that if you consider all those with our DNA our children, even if you just used mine, you technically had an affair with my daughter.

MASTER:

~shrugs~ you think of it however you like. Saffron was the first, so personally I wouldn’t consider her as part of the general Timelord public.

DOCTOR:

Whether or not he’s a part of the general public doesn’t really matter ~chuckles slightly~ no matter; we’re on good terms now.

MASTER:

Oh, you are? That’s good to hear. ~seems preoccupied with orienting the plane, moving his headset back onto his ear~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the surface comes into view, of a half-built city surrounded by sandy desert, and then beyond that a beautiful silver forest shimmering in the fading sunlight~

DOCTOR:

~watches the forest as the Master flies the plane, staring at it and almost expecting to see it all start to burn down in front of him or to hear gunshots, going silent to let the Master fly~

MASTER:

~mentally asks the Doctor if he’s comfortable with going down to walk around, or if they should just do a flyover in case it’s a bit overwhelming~

DOCTOR:

~responds that he’ll be fine walking around—in fact, he’s eager to see it and for once not have to leave it or watch it be destroyed~

MASTER:

~smiles slightly, advising him to prepare for a little bit of a rough landing since they don’t have a runway to access. Starts circling downwards, approaching the desert terrain~

DOCTOR:

~nods in acknowledgement, bracing himself though he doesn’t really seem worried~

MASTER:

~steers the aircraft around until they spiral down close enough to the surface, landing as gently as possible though the traction of the sand slows them down a bit abruptly~

DOCTOR:

~feels his own inertia, a combination of the seatbelt and the fact that he’s holding the seat stopping him from falling forward~

MASTER:

~stops the engines, powering the rest down and removing his headset~ the eagle has landed.

DOCTOR:

Alright! ~takes off his seatbelt, almost surprised when he sees the Toclafane as he had forgotten they were there~

TOCLAFANE:

~they materialize outside the ship~

MASTER:

~opens the door to step out, holding his hand out to help the Doctor down, smiling almost smugly~

DOCTOR:

~accepts the entirely uneccessary assistance, just because he’s in a good mood, exiting the plane~

MASTER:

~closes the door behind the Doctor, looking around at the scenery~ wherever you’d like to go, Doctor.

ENVIRONMENT:

~it even smells like Gallifrey, now that they’re down on the surface~

DOCTOR:

~looks around himself~ oh… god, I don’t even know… ~smiles happily~ really, half-built citadel or forest doesn’t matter to me; just the fact that it’s all here…!

MASTER:

~smiles widely~ I’m glad you like it. We should be living here by the end of next year if all goes well. ~offers his hand to the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~takes the Master’s hand without hesitance, looking around and marveling at what’s his, not really knowing what to say~

MASTER:

~affectionately brushes his fingers against the back of the Doctor’s hand, speaking softly~ you could say thank you. ~stands close to the Doctor, resting his head on the Doctor’s shoulder and looking up at him~

DOCTOR:

~turns his head to briefly kiss the Master before speaking~ {thank you, Master.}

MASTER:

~grins~ {I would go against my every moral, travel to the ends of the universe, even fight in the Time War all over again if it meant making you happy. My dearest Theta.} ~brings his other hand up to rest on the Doctor’s shoulder~

DOCTOR:

~closes his eyes, letting the Master’s words and the smell of Gallifrey push away every thought that this even might be wrong or a dream~ {just having you makes me happy… I love you.} ~knowing he’s let down any guard he had~

MASTER:

~smiles, amused~ {well then, I suppose I don’t have to work quite as hard as I thought.} ~holds his hand a little tighter~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles softly, matching the Master’s grip on his hand and just taking in the moment~

MASTER:

~steps away after a moment, still holding the Doctor’s hand~ {let’s take a small stroll through the woods. I wouldn’t want us heading through a construction site, lest someone got hurt.}

DOCTOR:

~nods~ {makes sense to me!} ~starts towards the silvery Gallifreyan tree line~

MASTER:

~smiling, walks with the Doctor toward the trees~ {We should leave before it gets too dark, though. It’s difficult to fly at night.}

TOCLAFANE:

~following behind them quietly~

DOCTOR:

{Alright} ~walks with a bit of a bounce in his step, not minding the time limit too much~

MASTER:

~notices the Doctor’s cheerfulness, widening his stride slightly to keep up with him~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they reach the edge of the forest, and the sand transitions into tall red grass~

MASTER:

~stops walking, reaching over to unlock the chain from the Doctor’s collar, not wanting it to catch on anything~

DOCTOR:

~stops momentarily to let the Master unlock his chain, chuckling at a thought as he does~

MASTER:

What is it? ~smiles with curiosity as he takes the chain and puts it in his pocket~

DOCTOR:

Oh nothing, it’s just—do you remember ‘mock-Gallifrey’? ~smiles back at the Master~

MASTER:

~looks intrigued, nodding~ yes, of course. It was a much more crude representation of the planet; I’d like to think I’ve done a better job here.

DOCTOR:

Yes, you have, but the pure difference between then and now is why I laughed. Not in the place, but in our actions.

MASTER:

~keeps walking~ our actions? How so? ~knows, simply wishing the Doctor to voice it~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the forest is comfortably lit with the soft light from the sun filtering down through the silvery foliage, which rustles gently in the breeze~

DOCTOR:

We were so distanced… I was terrified of you—still am, a little, but I trust you now. And that whole thing with the leash compared to you taking that chain off of me out of genuine concern… ~brushes his fingers against the back of the Master’s hand~

MASTER:

~smiles, actually having predicted incorrectly and once again realizing his callousness; leaning over to peck the Doctor’s cheek~ in our case, time seems to have changed us for the better. ~continues to walk at a leisurely stroll, looking around at the trees proudly~

DOCTOR:

Indeed it does… ~speaks almost uncertainly, seeming a little troubled under his cheerfulness, still smiling~

MASTER:

~stays quiet for a while as he enjoys the scenery~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the sunlight starts to gradually fade as they wander further into the forest~

DOCTOR:

~lets his hand run across the trunks and branches when they’re particularly close, speaking softly~ you did do remarkably well….

MASTER:

~smiles broadly~ thank you; that means quite a lot to me. ~walks over to a tree with a particularly wide and twisted root, letting go of the Doctor’s hand and sitting down on it as he looks up through a space between the leaves at the pink sky~

DOCTOR:

~glances up, following the Master’s gaze to the sky. Moves around the tree, jumping to latch onto the lowest branch and carefully climb up~ I’ll be right back down…

MASTER:

~turns and looks at the Doctor in surprise, pausing for a moment in thought before concluding~ alright… be careful.

DOCTOR:

I will! ~climbs up as high as he can without risking much, gently pushing branches aside so he can look out at the sunset~

MASTER:

~looks up at what he can see of the Doctor from where he sits, smiling warmly and leaning back against the trunk of the tree to watch the small bits of pink fade out into a darker orange as night approaches~ the sky is the one thing here I haven’t gotten around to changing yet. I do plan to change it.

DOCTOR:

~watches the stretch of trees start to look like the ocean reflecting a sunset rather than the fiery effect Gallifrey had, though he finds it near equally beautiful~


	16. Life On New Gallifrey

 

~•~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the sunset sky starts to look like it’s past its brightest point~

MASTER:

~stands up~ Doctor! We’re going to head back now.

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~climbs down until he’s down far enough that he deems hopping to the ground safe, brushing himself off as he comes to the Master’s side~

MASTER:

~smiles, putting his hands in his pockets and walking back the way they came, moving with a purpose while remaining cautious of things on the forest floor~

DOCTOR:

~easily follows next to the Master, smiling and looking around himself as they walk back through the forest~

MASTER:

~brings a hand to the Doctor’s shoulder as they approach the edge of the forest, where the Toclafane are pacing~ tomorrow we can get to work on the terraforming device.

DOCTOR:

Okay. I’ve been thinking about the design and I already have a couple of ideas on how to make it depending on what you want from it.

MASTER:

All I’m looking for is efficiency. If you need to make another visit to this place to make comparisons, I can arrange for that.

DOCTOR:

Alright… ~trails off, thoughtful of how to do this without overdoing or under-doing it as he wants to completely the task at hand without burning another Gallifrey or having the plants over-grow~

MASTER:

~notices the Doctor’s concern, nodding with understanding~ I’ll be there to help you, of course. ~approaches the airplane~

TOCLAFANE:

~the Toclafane follow them, seeming irritable~

DOCTOR:

~smiles, looking over at the Master~ right; thanks. ~noticing the Toclafane’s behavior but knowing they won’t dare overstep their boundaries again~

MASTER:

~opens the door, bowing slightly and gesturing inside as an almost mocking invitation for the Doctor to enter~

DOCTOR:

~rolls his eyes, chuckling slightly as he goes into the plane and sits where he did before~

MASTER:

~climbs in after the Doctor, closing the door and putting on his headset again, taking another look at the terrain~ takeoff might be an issue here…

DOCTOR:

Yeah… wheels don’t do anything in sand, so we’ll just have to ~looks over at the Master with a smile, thinking himself to be extremely clever~ wing it.

MASTER:

~rolls his eyes and cuffs the Doctor’s ear~ oh, stop it. ~turns the aircraft on, firing up the engines and trying to move, which earns them a slow progression through the sand~ we’ll never get anywhere with this… maybe there’s more solid ground near the Citadel.

DOCTOR:

Let’s try that, then. ~glances out at the sunset, starting to get worried about when as well as if they get off of the ground~

MASTER:

~turns the plane to face the city, moving a little faster with more engine power and as the terrain gets more compact~ we’ll be fine. ~reassuring the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly, letting himself stop worrying and strapping in though he knows he probably doesn’t have to quite yet~

MASTER:

~keeps driving until they’re close enough to see the small shapes of humans milling about doing the construction of the city, and then starts to accelerate, taking a little more time than on the average runway to take off, and he would have run into the dome of the city had it been fully built~

DOCTOR:

~notices the close cut but figures the Master knows what he’s doing~

MASTER:

~lets out a held breath, smiling over at the Doctor~ see? ~looks forward, focusing on getting back on course to the Valiant as he murmurs~ I’ll have them build a runway so we don’t have to do that again.

DOCTOR:

Yeah… ~smiles back at the Master, realizing that he’s not seen both Masters at once since the shot, but whenever he was alone the other Master seemed to appear pretty frequently—though he also appeared when Saffron was there, for some reason~

MASTER:

~frowns slightly at the Doctor’s thought processes, glancing over at him once they’re steady and on course~ is that hallucination still bothering you?

DOCTOR:

I haven’t seen it lately… ~shakes his head dismissively~ maybe it’s finally gone.

MASTER:

~smiles~ that’s good. How are you feeling? ~asks out of concern~

DOCTOR:

I’m feeling great. ~seems slightly confused as to why the Master’s asking, figuring he’s just worried for him, smiling softly~

MASTER:

~chuckles faintly to himself~ alright, just checking.

DOCTOR:

What’s funny? ~speaks out of confusion though he’s still smiling faintly~

MASTER:

~shakes his head~ nothing, really.

DOCTOR:

~sighs slightly, leaning back in his seat~ okay.

MASTER:

~doesn’t speak for the rest of the flight~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the sun has fully set by the time they land back on the Valiant~

MASTER:

~unstraps himself and gets out of the plane, the Toclafane having already disappeared~ that went a little later than I had wanted.

DOCTOR:

~gets out after the Master, glancing up at the stars, knowing he can’t reach them giving him a sense of how grounded he is though he instantly pushes the thought away~

MASTER:

~smiles over at the Doctor sympathetically, closing the door and bringing his arm around the Doctor’s waist, starting to walk with him back to the elevator~

DOCTOR:

~matches the Master’s stride automatically, smiling at the gesture and bringing his own arm across the Master’s shoulders~

MASTER:

~walks into the elevator, selecting the top floor; wraps his arm further around the Doctor’s waist, pulling him close~ I’ll let you stay with me in my room for tonight.

DOCTOR:

Thank you, Master… ~the answer seems almost automatic, though he looks happy as ever~

MASTER:

~smiles up at the Doctor~ I certainly won’t have you in a room by yourself, considering everything you’ve gone through recently.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at the Master, relaxing comfortably and stopping himself from worrying about his hallucinatory reality—it’s gone~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator arrives in the Master’s room~

MASTER:

~he gestures grandly to the bed as he lets go of the Doctor’s waist~ we can start on the terraforming project first thing tomorrow.

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~takes his arm off of the Master’s shoulders and walks into the room, taking off his suit jacket and shoes as he normally would before sleeping~

MASTER:

~doesn’t follow the Doctor just yet, closing the elevator doors and activating a sort of security system, the lights suddenly dimming when he finishes~ where’d you get that suit? ~walks over~

DOCTOR:

~hesitates a little before answering, figuring it’s best if he just answers straight up~ Alia insisted I wear it. She gave it to me.

MASTER:

Alia, hm? ~chuckles, removing his suit jacket and shoes, unbuttoning his shirt partially before taking the chain out of his pocket to set it on the table~ I suppose I can’t blame her. You did look ridiculous, despite the allure.

DOCTOR:

~just awkwardly walks over to sit on the bed~ I don’t know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment.

MASTER:

I’d rather you simply take it. ~walks over to the bed, ruffling the Doctor’s hair on his way around to the left side~

DOCTOR:

~lays down on the bed, smiling and shrugging slightly~ alright. ~easily dismissing the matter~

MASTER:

~climbs into the bed, lying on his side and rubbing a hand across the Doctor’s shoulder comfortingly~ if you need anything, I’ll be right here.

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly, crawling under the covers before relaxing to go to sleep, facing the Master~ goodnight, Master…

MASTER:

~smiles and closes his eyes~ goodnight.

~•~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when the Doctor drifts off to sleep, he suddenly finds himself on the floor of a room of mirrors, without any entrances or exits~

MASTER:

~crawls over to him~ Doctor?

DOCTOR:

~his eyes blink open and widen briefly as he quickly realizes where he is, sighing and speaking in an almost disappointed tone~ yes… I’m awake, or asleep, or hallucinating, or heck, maybe I’m still comatose…

MASTER:

~sits back on his heels, looking concerned~ you’re awake… I haven’t been able to get into your dream for a while.

ALIA:

~is further off in the room, lying on the ground with her eyes closed~

DOCTOR:

~sits up, grimacing when he puts pressure on his feet, looking over at Alia~ does that mean you were in your own dream or awake? And what about Alia?

MASTER:

I was awake or by myself during the times I wasn’t there… ~glances over at Alia~ she’s been asleep the whole time. As far as I know.

DOCTOR:

But I haven’t seen her since the shot… ~crawls over, touching his forehead to Alia’s to try to telepathically see what she’s seeing~

MENTAL:

~Alia seems to be wandering around a forest of silver trees and red grass, lost and distressed~

DOCTOR:

~mumbles~ it’s your forest… ~trying to get himself to be in the dream with Alia through telepathy~

MASTER:

Whose forest? ~comes over, his voice seeming strained and weak~

MENTAL:

~the Doctor’s efforts are unsuccessful as he’s held back from entering her dream~

DOCTOR:

~sits up, sighing~ the forests of New Gallifrey… nothing scary, in fact it’s quite beautiful but she’s lost and distressed—with good reason. ~looks over at the Master~ are you alright?

MASTER:

~coughs, grimacing and sinking to the floor~ I—nngh… ~grips the front of his jumpsuit, curling up against the floor and fighting to breathe~

DOCTOR:

~finishes the sentence aloud~ you haven’t been given the medicine… ~looks up and around for any technology in the room—though without his sonic it’ll be difficult to do anything anyway~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room is utterly featureless, except for a single camera in one corner of the room, protected by a cage like a clock in a school gym would be~

DOCTOR:

I guess She got sick of us breaking things… ~looks at the Master in concern, not knowing what to do or even if this is real as the Master struggles to breathe and Alia wanders lost on New Gallifrey in her mind~

MASTER:

~weakly pushes himself off of the floor, shaking as he crawls over to the Doctor and into the other Timelord’s lap, curling up there and shuddering against his chest~

DOCTOR:

~wraps his arms around the Master, speaking up to the camera~ hey, I don’t suppose you’d give us that medicine we handed to Kevin…

GLaDOS:

~there’s no response from Her~

MASTER:

~weakly brings one of the Doctor’s hands up to his chest, with his strength fading, so the Doctor can know that one of his hearts has stopped before he goes unconscious~

DOCTOR:

GLaDOS! I’ll have you know that the circulatory system is extremely important when it comes to Timelords… it could-… ~looks down at the Master~ though it’s the addiction, so there’s another way to help it… and therefore, it becomes a test result. ~leaves his hand on the Master’s chest~ it’s stopped… there’s no other way with the resources we have, but…

MASTER:

~the second heart is skipping and faltering now, and he starts to faintly emit a golden glow from his hands~

GLaDOS:

~still offers no reply~

DOCTOR:

Shit. ~rolls up the Master’s sleeve, taking out the mug shard and cutting him~

MASTER:

~the glow dims slightly after a moment, his working heart seeming to beat more steadily but he’s still on the brink of regeneration~

DOCTOR:

~forcefully hits the Master on the back, knowing how to restart a Timelord heart and simultaneously knowing it’ll cause pain~

MASTER:

~regains consciousness with a gasp, glancing down at his bleeding arm in a daze; the heart returns to a normal rate, though the second is still stopped~

DOCTOR:

~hits the Master again on the back, over the stopped heart, once again trying to restart it~

MASTER:

~groans, faintly trying to pull himself away from the Doctor as a thoughtless reaction to the blow; despite the Doctor’s efforts, he still has only one heart beating~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, giving up on that~ sorry… I got the one to beat but the other’s not coming back—for now, at least… also, your arm’s going to sting—you shouldn’t bleed too badly from it, though…

MASTER:

~slumps over the Doctor’s lap, blinking and looking at his arm~ did you… was I going to…

DOCTOR:

You were going to regenerate; I had to do _something_ and that was the only option given what’s available to me.

MASTER:

~pauses to breathe, speaking being a strenuous activity~ why didn’t… let me? ~rests his head on the floor~ problem… gone.

DOCTOR:

I doubt it would solve the addiction, though your hearts would be fine for the moment, your reaction to addiction is subconscious but mental and based on memory, and memory’s something you keep when you regenerate.

MASTER:

Then… ~turns over slightly, his on heart beating faster to try to compensate for the other; gives the Doctor a desperate look~ memory gone.

DOCTOR:

~frowns but nods~ we tried that once, but if I tried something… can you let me into your subconscious? I might be able to stop you from thinking you need it… or at least get your other heart to beat. ~goes to touch his head to the Master’s, leaving an inch between them so the Master makes the decision as to whether or not they have the stronger connection~

MASTER:

~doesn’t hesitate to close the space between them, his eyes drifting closed as his heart rate accelerates dangerously~ move… ~his voice fades as his only heart fails, and his head rolls back, breathing out a puff of regeneration energy as his hands glow once more~

DOCTOR:

~quickly delves into the Master’s subconscious and tries to force the other Timelord’s hearts to beat in proper time, forcing himself to be calm enough that he doesn’t end up hurting the Master accidentally~

MASTER:

~he only glows brighter, trying to will the Doctor to get out of the way once more before he surges with golden energy, the process of regeneration having already started~

DOCTOR:

~gets out of the Master’s mind then out of his way, quickly moving back but stumbling into the wall because of his feet, sitting down since he deems himself far enough away

MASTER:

~struggles on the floor, undergoing the change~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room seems to be seeping the regeneration energy from him~

MISTRESS:

~she comes to her feet and almost immediately collapses again, unable to complete the process as she’s been drained of all her energy~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen and he runs to the Master—er, Missy~ no no no no no… ~checks Missy’s pulse, trying to convince himself she’s only blacked out from regenerating~

MISSY:

~the regeneration seems to have failed at one crucial thing—keeping the Mistress alive~

DOCTOR:

~panics~ seven minutes… the brain works for seven minutes after-… but the only thing I could do is… ~determined, wraps his arms around Missy, making himself glow with regeneration energy but forcing it through the Mistress to try to finish the process and revive her~

GLaDOS:

*Emotions make people do foolish things, don’t they?*

ENVIRONMENT:

~when the Doctor tries to transfer his regeneration energy, it only gets leeched out of him as it did with the Master and the lights in the room glow a little brighter~

DOCTOR:

~speaks in a shaky tone, tears streaming down his face~ no… they can, but they can do so much more… emotions are what make being alive and makes them function… not to mention, they are why you can do science.

ALIA:

~after a moment she stirs, blinking her eyes open drowsily and sitting up. Looks around and sees the Doctor, immediately concerned and a little scared~ Daddy?

DOCTOR:

~wipes the tears from his face, gently setting the Mistress back down and crawling over to Alia, setting his hands on her shoulders and looking at her with a serious expression~ Alia… your Father didn’t get his medicine.

ALIA:

~looks over at the Mistress, confused and worried~ where is he now…? ~meets the Doctor’s gaze~

DOCTOR:

He regenerated but GLaDOS stopped him halfway through. That woman is your Father… and she’s dead. ~his voice breaks and another tear escapes his eye~

ALIA:

~looks at the Mistress again, her eyes flicking back and forth in distressed confusion~ what? ~gives the Doctor a pleading look, in denial~ Daddy, what do you mean, dead?

DOCTOR:

I mean your Father’s gone-… ~quickly brings a hand to his face, recollecting himself~ he’s dead.

ALIA:

~gently pulls away from the Doctor and walks over to the Mistress, kneeling down beside her and carefully rolling her over~ …father…? ~brings her hands close to her chest, biting her bottom lip~ I regenerated, I was fine, he should be fine he _has_ to be fine-… ~her voice growing desperate~

DOCTOR:

~looks over at Alia sadly~ he didn’t finish regenerating… GLaDOS stopped him, so he died because he hadn’t yet regenerated his hearts, which stopped.

ALIA:

~a few tears roll down her cheeks, and she grows angry, sobbing as she yells~ why’s she always so _MEAN_ to us all the time?!

DOCTOR:

I don’t know… I’ve tried too many times to convince myself She’s human at heart, but she’s so much less than that…

ALIA:

~sniffs, hiccupping between sobs as she sits back on her heels and slumps forward into her hands~

DOCTOR:

~moves over to Alia, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly, not letting her hear him hoping he’s dreaming~

MASTER:

Doctor? ~there’s a soft hand on the Doctor’s cheek, the Master speaking out of concern~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the sound of Alia’s sobbing fades to be replaced by the quiet hum of the Valiant~

MASTER:

Hey, what’s wrong?

DOCTOR:

Master? ~looks at the Master in disbelief for a second, relaxing out of sheer relief~ thank god... ~reaches over to hug the Master~

MASTER:

~easily wraps his arms around the Doctor, brushing a hand through the Doctor’s hair comfortingly~ I’m right here. ~asks after a moment~ nightmare?

DOCTOR:

Yeah… guess my hallucinations wanted one last shot at messing with me. ~smiles, able to feel the Master’s reassuringly steady heartbeats~ it can’t make sense as reality anymore, though!

MASTER:

~smiles~ that’s good. Why not?

DOCTOR:

I was fully conscious and aware of my surroundings before I woke up here. I would have noticed if something was filtered into the room… also, it doesn’t make medical sense that your heart refused to start.

MASTER:

~holds the Doctor close, resting his chin on the other Timelord’s head~ do you think you’ll be able to get back to sleep? ~rubbing his back~

DOCTOR:

Yeah… hopefully without going back There, but at least I know what’s real. ~lets his eyes drift closed, focusing on the Master’s presence~ sorry if I woke you up…

MASTER:

It’s fine. ~closes his eyes, smiling slightly~ here, I can stay up and make sure it doesn’t happen again… ~mentally soothes the Doctor, pushing the negative thoughts away~

DOCTOR:

You don’t have to… but thank you, Master. ~starts to drift off, more comfortable and at ease than he’s probably ever been~

MASTER:

It would be rude not to. ~lets the Doctor sleep~

~•~

MASTER:

~when the Doctor wakes up again the Master is softly stroking his hair~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the lights in the room are back on~

DOCTOR:

~stretches slightly, speaking in a drowsy tone~ good morning… or afternoon, knowing how I normally sleep.

MASTER:

If it were the afternoon I would’ve had to leave. ~sits up, smiling warmly at the Doctor as he buttons up his shirt~ I’m quite the busy man.

DOCTOR:

~chuckles, speaking in a joking tone~ you know, if you say that too many times people will start to think you’re just bragging.

MASTER:

~rolls his eyes slightly, getting up to put on his suit jacket~ but it’s true! ~is still smiling~

DOCTOR:

I never said it wasn’t! ~sits up, blinking the sleep from his eyes and getting out of bed~

MASTER:

~stops smiling, suddenly turning and looking back at the Doctor sharply, seeming a little on edge despite his previous demeanor~

DOCTOR:

~meets the Master’s gaze, innocently perplexed as to what he did wrong~

MASTER:

~relaxes slightly after a moment, taking the chain off of the table and walking over to the Doctor to reattach it to his collar, lock and all, his warmhearted nature seeming to have disappeared~

DOCTOR:

~nods, seeming to get what’s going on—he’s the Master’s disobedient and distrusted “prize”, and he can’t be allowed to forget it until he’s earned the trust back~

MASTER:

To the lab? ~phrases the command like a question to make it feel less like the Doctor doesn’t have a decision~

DOCTOR:

Yes, Master. ~forces himself to sound like he’s simply answering rather than giving a bitter retort though he’s sure the Master can tell~

MASTER:

~nods, allowing himself a small, sympathetic smile before turning towards the elevator to disable the security systems, the end of the Doctor’s chain wrapped around his hand~

DOCTOR:

~easily follows the Master, pretending not to even notice his sympathy though he does relax a bit, reminding himself why this is all completely necessary~

MASTER:

~heads into the elevator, bringing them to the second floor~ I won’t be able to stay with you the whole time; I’ll make sure there’s always someone else in the lab with you, though. ~looks over at the Doctor fondly~ this is another privilege I’m going to trust you with.

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly and nods~ I won’t let you down this time.

MASTER:

~grins, pleased~ that’s the spirit. ~pulls the Doctor into a kiss, moving back after a moment to walk with him into the hallway to the lab~ you’ve got me in a good mood. Continue like this, and I’m going to end up spoiling you. ~smiles in teasing amusement~

DOCTOR:

~rolls his eyes at the Master’s slight tease, though he’s smiling genuinely as he walks with the Master~

MASTER:

~walks to the lab, where Oliver is milling about, leading the Doctor to one of the counters and opening a drawer with blank blueprints~ you can use these if you want… the others can show you where things are. ~kisses the Doctor’s cheek as he hands him the chain~ I have to go, but I’ll try to check in occasionally.

DOCTOR:

~takes the chain, nodding slightly~ okay, see you then! ~looks at the blank blueprints, thinking through what else he’ll need~

MASTER:

~smiles, turning to leave the room~

OLIVER:

~looks up at the Doctor once the Master’s gone~ so; what you up to?

DOCTOR:

I’m going to design a terraforming device… don’t want to use blueprints before I know what I’m doing, though. Could I just have a pencil and paper to start on, please? Still don’t know where things are…

OLIVER:

~chuckles~ yeah, sure. ~goes over to the counter and grabs a pencil out of a cup, and a piece of lined paper from a drawer underneath, heading back to give them to the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Thanks! ~takes the pencil and paper, setting his chain aside on the counter as he starts to do sloppy Gallifreyan calculations across the paper~ so I’ve been thinking… It has to help the terraforming process without making things overgrow or explode or burning anything, so it has to be precise, though the way it starts can be as simplistic or complicated as is convenient…

OLIVER:

~pulls out a stool and sits on the other side of the counter, seeming to be working on his own writing within a file~ you seem to know a lot about terraforming. Is this for New Gallifrey?

DOCTOR:

~continues to write at a furious pace as he speaks~ yes, I’ve seen more than a few cases of terraforming and some of the most functional forms of it were covered in the Academy—though a race can only learn so much by watching.

OLIVER:

~glances over at the Doctor’s page with awe at the speed and complication of what he’s writing~ so what frame of reference are you using?

DOCTOR:

My idea here is a setup of chemicals which when combined react in such a way that they turn gaseous and expand rapidly—too rapid and you get an explosion, not enough and you get nothing. The gaseous result has to correlate exactly with what makes Gallifreyan plant life grow as well. I also need to choose chemicals that are at our disposal in at least one form.

OLIVER:

Wow, ~sets his writing utensil down, impressed~ that was quick.

DOCTOR:

I’ve been thinking about it a bit, so it’s not like I just came up with it now… just calculating the amount of energy that would be dispelled as heat depending on the chemicals I use along with how much each combination I’ve been thinking of would expand and cover requires the inclusion of multiple variable factors I’ve hardly gotten to yet.

OLIVER:

~gets back to working on his own papers with a smile~ so, do you have a deadline to meet with this? Knowing the Master, the schedule’s usually pretty tight.

DOCTOR:

I have no set deadline, but I am fully expected to work according to the Master’s standards. ~by now he’s plugged a few of his chemical combinations into various formulas and numbered them, keeping the important information organized~

OLIVER:

~sees the Doctor’s running out of room on the piece of paper, standing~ perhaps I should get you a notebook instead. ~chuckling lightly~ I assume the Master put you up to this? ~glances briefly at the chain on the table~

DOCTOR:

I offered to, to an extent… he was talking about how long it will take to terraform and I talked about something more efficient—I don’t mind setting up the device for him. The chain’s the result of previously going against him.

OLIVER:

~goes and retrieves a half-used notebook after a few minutes of searching, bringing it back over and offering it to the Doctor~ hm, sounds a little harsh…

DOCTOR:

~takes the notebook~ thanks. And I did point a gun at him—I was hallucinating off of Toclafane poison, but I can understand his concern. ~flips to an unused page and continues his calculations~

OLIVER:

The Toclafane? ~asks in surprise, sitting back down and re-noticing the stitches across the Doctor’s face~ they made you hallucinate?

DOCTOR:

Yeah… the poison’s fatal to humans, but it made me hallucinate a whole separate reality.

OLIVER:

~furrows his eyebrows in confusion~ that seems awfully unlikely, even for the Toclafane. ~looks over as the door opens~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~quietly enters~

DOCTOR:

~sets his pencil down, looking up at Oliver, seeming a little shaken~ what do you mean by unlikely…?

OLIVER:

~looks mildly concerned by the Doctor’s reaction~ unlikely, that the Toclafane would be equipped with poison… and I doubt it could make you hallucinate a different reality, though I’m not exactly an expert on Timelords.

DOCTOR:

~looks down at his paper~ honestly, I found it odd too… ~shakes his head, getting back to his equations and speaking in an almost aggressive tone~ but nothing else makes sense!

OLIVER:

Pardon? ~closes up his folder, seeming to have completely set it aside by now out of curiosity~

DOCTOR:

The Toclafane are the only ones who could have done it. ~is a bit confused by Oliver’s response, forcing most of his focus onto his math~

OLVIER:

~nods~ …then, I suppose they did happen to have access to poison. ~seems confused as to why the Doctor seems so concerned about it~

DOCTOR:

Exactly. ~starts looking over his work, making notes of certain things and correcting others~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~wanders over, curious as to what the Doctor’s doing, peering over at his paper with interest~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly~ it’s calculations to determine the design of a terraforming device based on what we have at our disposal.

DR HOLLOWAY:

~puts his hands on the edge of the counter, looking over at the Doctor’s calculations but getting confused by the Gallifreyan~

OLIVER:

~smiles somewhat awkwardly at Dr. Holloway~ hey doc, the results ready yet?

DOCTOR:

Results? ~glances up at them, curious~ also, sorry, I just find it easiest to do complex equations in Gallifreyan.

DR HOLLOWAY:

~nods slightly~

OLIVER:

~looks over at the Doctor to explain~ we head back and forth between here and Aperture, occasionally there are test results that need to be calculated outside of the facility, the old-fashioned way…

DOCTOR:

Ah, that makes sense… ~writes again for a moment before looking up a little suddenly~ wait, no it doesn’t…

OLIVER:

~looks perplexed~ what do you mean?

DOCTOR:

GLaDOS has controlled and monitored the facility and test results all on her own. There’s no way She needs anyone else to calculate the results. ~sounds accusing now~

OLIVER:

~barely pauses a second before responding~ we cannot move freely back and forth _all_ the time… plus, she’s not allowed access to the monitors on the Valiant. Someone has to collect results relating to the experiments conducted here. ~gestures around at the room to include the looms and the Master’s tests~

DOCTOR:

~still seems unconvinced~ and why would Dr. Holloway _return_ with results that he didn’t have before, then?

OLIVER:

I don’t know? ~responds in an equally insistent tone of uncertainty, glancing up at Holloway~ where _were_ you then?

DR HOLLOWAY:

~seems wary for a second before taking Oliver’s pencil and writing “surveillance room” down on a blank space on the Doctor’s page~

DOCTOR:

Alright, _that_ makes sense… ~hesitantly gets back to work, seeming uneasy~

MASTER:

~the doors open again as the Master walks in~

OLIVER & HOLLOWAY:

~the other two quickly get to a position where it looks like they’re being productive~

MASTER:

~smiles warmly and walks to the Doctor~ how’s it coming along?

DOCTOR:

It’s coming along well! I almost have the chemicals that would be best to use—next would be the amount of each and then the mechanism behind mixing them; the latter of which should be relatively easy to decide.

MASTER:

~his smile widens proudly, and he ruffles the Doctor’s hair affectionately~ wonderful. At this rate, you’ll be done before tea time. ~comes around behind the Doctor and leans over him to murmur in his ear, grinning~ exceeding my expectations is always good.

DOCTOR:

~smiles happily, though the Master’s change in tone sends a shiver up his spine~ of course, Master… I did think that that’s one thing I can safely assume; if the only thing.

MASTER:

And you thought correctly. ~draws a finger faintly along the Doctor’s jaw as he speaks; walks around to the Doctor’s left, placing a hand on his shoulder~ I think I can jump ahead a bit and let you be in the room by yourself.

DOCTOR:

~his smile widens at the show of trust~ thank you… you won’t regret it.

MASTER:

~tilts his head to the side, furrowing his eyebrows distrustingly~ hm. I wasn’t expecting for you, Doctor, to so easily accept being alone. Bit of an experiment, really—are you too unwilling to contradict me, or are you simply eager to be unsupervised for some suspicious reason?

DOCTOR:

~meets the Master’s gaze~ I recognize that being allowed to be alone is a privilege. While I wouldn’t choose it, being able to would mean I have regained some of your trust—and no, I don’t want your trust for any reason other than the fact that I care about you.

MASTER:

~steps forward, smiling as he runs a hand through the Doctor’s hair~ that’s my Doctor. ~pecks him briefly~ I’ll be back in a few hours. If you finish early, come straight up to my room. Understand?

DOCTOR:

~his head automatically shies into the Master’s hand when it’s on his head. Nods slightly, smiling as well~ yes, Master.

MASTER:

Alright. See you then. ~pets the side of the Doctor’s head a little as he seems to enjoy it before walking back to the door, exiting the room~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes follow the Master until the other Timelord’s out of sight, then he turns back to his work~

OLIVER:

~gets up, waving at the Doctor briefly before following suit, leaving the Doctor in the room with silent Dr. Holloway~

DOCTOR:

~waves back at Oliver, hardly looking up from his papers—he has a deadline now and he still has plenty to calculate~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~minds his own business for the most part as the Doctor works, and after a while he himself turns to leave, and the room is empty~

DOCTOR:

~starts working on a blueprint a little after Dr. Holloway leaves, not liking the quiet but tolerating it~

~•~

WOMAN:

~another person in a lab coat enters the room a little later, but the Doctor doesn’t recognize her; she disregards the Doctor for the most part, heading to a corner of the room to search through a drawer somewhat frantically~

DOCTOR:

~glances up at the woman~ do you need something…? Well, I hardly know where anything is, so I doubt I’d be of much help… but still, any way I can help?

WOMAN:

~briefly looks up to meet the Doctor’s gaze~ no, thank you. I’ve got it handled… ~searches through the drawer seemingly with no success, moving on to another~

DOCTOR:

Alright… ~does a couple more calculations before getting back to his blueprint~

WOMAN:

~closes both drawers, heading out of the room with a strange device in her hand, glancing at the Doctor with a brief friendly smile before leaving~

~•~

DOCTOR:

~after a little while he closes the notebook on his initial page and sets it on his blueprint, putting his pencil back in the cup Oliver got it from~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the door opens somewhat urgently~

SAFFRON:

~looks in with a worried expression. Notices the Doctor and asks~ have you seen the Master anywhere?

DOCTOR:

~looks at Saffron, instantly concerned~ I think he went down to Aperture—I’m not sure, though. But I can get a message to him! What’s wrong?

SAFFRON:

He’s supposed to be on the Valiant today, but I’ve looked in every room and all the planes are accounted for… He’s not been seen by anyone for at least an hour now.

DOCTOR:

He said he’d be back in a couple of hours… let me check something. ~tries to use the link to figure out what’s going on~

MENTAL:

~the link seems to be blocked off either by the Master himself or some other telepathic force~

SAFFRON:

~asks hopefully after a moment~ anything?

DOCTOR:

~looks more concerned, starting towards the doors~ he’s blocked off… I can’t reach him. He said to go to the bedroom when I’m finished; maybe there’s something there that’ll explain things…

SAFFRON:

~steps to the side, giving the Doctor room to walk by and nodding anxiously~ let’s go then.

DOCTOR:

~heads down the hall towards the elevator, carrying his chain so it doesn’t drag behind him~ I swear… that man had better be okay.

SAFFRON:

~walks behind the Doctor at a stride, worried as well~ he gets in trouble far too often.

DOCTOR:

Believe me, I know… I suppose we’re not too different in that sense, but that just makes it more concerning.

SAFFRON:

~follows after the Doctor to the elevator, passing a confused Oliver on the way down; tries to get into the Master’s room~ it’s locked… but it can only be locked from the inside so either he’s in there or someone else with the combination is…

DOCTOR:

~takes out his sonic, trying to unlock and make the elevator go to the Master’s room~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator shudders, and the doors close before the compartment moves upwards in compliance~

SAFFRON:

~looks at the door anxiously~ thanks.

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly~ no problem… ~puts his sonic away, watching the door as well~

MASTER:

Don’t move! ~exclaims in a shaky, panicked tone when the doors open; he is standing beside a chair where he can easily take cover, pointing a gun at them and looking terrified. The side of his face is somewhat bruised and a little bloody~

DOCTOR:

~raises his hands in a surrender~ Master? What’s going on!? ~glancing at Saffron in a “you see it too, right?”~

SAFFRON:

~backs up warily, surprised at the Master’s situation~

MASTER:

Leave me alone! ~continues in distress, shakily adjusting his grip on the gun and taking a step back, whipping around to aim at the cat when he sees movement, wildly glancing around~

DOCTOR:

Master… I don’t know what’s happened, but calm down; it’s alright…

MASTER:

~not seeming to be talking to the Doctor anymore~ No—no, get out! ~fires the gun at a wall~ get out, you aren’t supposed to be here! ~backing up until he stumbles back over the steps, wails desperately~ Doctor!

DOCTOR:

~slowly and calmly approaches the Master, keeping his hands up in a surrender, looking extremely concerned~ I’m here… but I can’t see what you’re seeing, Master…

MASTER:

~looks up quickly and his eyes take a moment to refocus on the Doctor, as if just now noticing him, still panicked but he’s not pointing the gun at the Doctor~ Doctor… th… they came back for me they’ll take everything-… ~his voice is squeaky with distress~

DOCTOR:

~speaks softly as he uses his sonic as he would to uncloak something~ who’s back, Master? I can’t see anyone, and I can’t reach you mentally.

MASTER:

~flinches, jumping to his feet and lunging forward to shove the Doctor down to the ground, falling with him. Smiles wildly and grits his teeth~ I’m back.

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen and he automatically tries to shrink away—though of course he can’t. His voice jumps up an octave as he speaks~ Master…? ~scrambling to piece together more than the fact that the Master’s insane~

MASTER:

~brings up the gun, closing one eye as he aims at the Doctor’s face and loads the next bullet, smiling cheerfully as he speaks in a sing-song voice~ I— _got—_ you!

DOCTOR:

M-Master! Don’t—why would you- ~there are tears in his eyes as he tries to get out of the Master’s grip and disarm him~ stop!

MASTER:

~the Doctor is able to wiggle out from underneath him, as the Master’s only using one hand to keep him down; looks sad~ aw; don’t run away. ~avoids the Doctor’s attempt to disarm him, slowly drawing a knife out of his pocket as he grins~ you’ll miss out on all the fun.

DOCTOR:

~stands up~ Master, this isn’t you, you’re past this, you’re better than this; I don’t want to fight you! ~uses his sonic to make the elevator go back down with Saffron and re-lock the room~

MASTER:

Fight me? ~laughs, getting up~ no need! ~brings an arm back, turning the gun around and bringing it down hard to the side of the Doctor’s head, enough to knock him unconscious~

DOCTOR:

~falls to the ground, struggling to remain conscious before blacking out—which he knows is the worst thing to do in this situation~

~•~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when he regains consciousness, his surroundings are dark, he’s lying on his side with his hands bound behind his back and fabric over his eyes; the floor is vibrating gently~

DOCTOR:

~shifts slightly and opens his eyes, quickly recalling what happened and calling timidly into the darkness~ Master…? ~his head aching horribly from the blow that made him black out~

ENVIRONMENT:

~his inquiry echoes back at him over the loud drone of the engines, giving him a sense of how small a compartment he’s in~

DOCTOR:

The engine room on the Valiant…? Some sort of storage, probably, too small to be a holding cell… ~lays there thinking through his option and how this Master could ruin everything~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the whole compartment shudders, the rushing of air around him coming to the Doctor’s attention a little later than it usually would have had he not had a jarring headache~

DOCTOR:

Wind… on the bottom of the ship, near engines, somewhere that the Master would put me, somewhere he doesn’t want me to move… ~cautiously scoots forward in the direction the wind’s going~

ENVIRONMENT:

~his head meets a wall not too far from where he originally started, and as he does so the compartment bounces violently, both the wind and the engines dying down after the movement~

DOCTOR:

Ow… did he drop me? No, that doesn’t make sense… ~moves backwards, testing the perimeter of his confines~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the compartment is barely large enough to hold him comfortably, but only when facing his original direction. They seem to have come to a complete standstill, and the closing of a heavy door can be heard from further in front of him~

DOCTOR:

Master!? ~the volume of his echo makes him curl up slightly but he proceeds to try to kick one of the walls open~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the wall gives way, but because it was a door and had been opened by the Master~

MASTER:

Look at that! He’s awake. ~still sounds creepily cheerful~

DOCTOR:

~speaks a little bitterly~ I thought we agreed being unconscious doesn’t count as sleep. ~doesn’t try to get out now~

MASTER:

Oh, he’s getting sour now; I guess I’d better leave him here instead of bringing him out… ~slowly closes the door~

DOCTOR:

No-! ~answers without thinking, not daring to say more for fear of somehow making things worse for himself~

MASTER:

~opens the door again, but not without pausing a moment for suspense~ oh alright, I’ll forgive you this one time. ~reaches in and grabs the Doctor by his ankles, pulling him out of the compartment into sunlight that the Doctor can sense through the blindfold~

DOCTOR:

~tries to sit up once he’s out~ thank you. ~realizes how automatic his responses are, hoping they help his situation rather than keeping him stuck as putty in the Master’s hands~

ENVIRONMENT:

~he finds footing on stone or concrete~

MASTER:

~leads him with his chain further away from the compartment~

ENVIRONMENT:

~it smells strange and there’s not much noise apart from the breeze rustling nearby trees~

DOCTOR:

~follows a little slower than he normally would, trying to stay within the boundaries set by his chain while trying not to trip over himself or anything else~ so… where are we?

MASTER:

~giggles~ the place where all the bad Doctors go. ~moves ahead and yanks the Doctor’s chain as a result~ but I guess you’ll be the first.

DOCTOR:

~stumbles forward before regaining his balance, trying to think of what the Master could mean: all the bad Doctors? Maybe Aperture? But then how would he be the first?~

MASTER:

~chuckles to himself, turning left to walk along a wall just before stopping suddenly~ silence would be a bad decision on your part, don’t you think?

DOCTOR:

~ends up accidentally choking himself by walking ahead when the Master’s stopped~ yes; why do you think I asked where we’re going even though I’m sure it’s bad and you won’t give me a straight answer?

MASTER:

~shortens the chain considerably, pulling the Doctor close to himself, the point of something sharp gently pressing into the Doctor’s side as he murmurs happily in the Doctor’s ear~ I took you away from the Valiant so nobody has to hear your screams.

DOCTOR:

~grits his teeth, forcing a steady tone~ well, that’s remotely considerate, I suppose…

MASTER:

~smiles and gently moves the blade around the Doctor’s side, drawing it away and shoving the Doctor forward to a stairwell, still holding the chain in case he falls down~

DOCTOR:

~slips off of the first step but manages to catch himself on the second, pausing to try to hear when the Master starts moving, assuming they’ll go down the stairs~

MASTER:

~starts walking down the steps, not about to wait if the Doctor doesn’t move out of the way before he’s knocked off~

DOCTOR:

~walks down the staircase, occasionally stumbling over a step or two but keeping his footing for the most part~ it’s been a while…

MASTER:

~seems intrigued~ what do you mean by that, Doctor?

ENVIRONMENT:

~he can tell that the daylight is gone by now and they’re now in a poorly lit if not pitch black space~

DOCTOR:

It’s been long enough and you’ve changed enough that this is all feels almost unfamiliar… the dark surroundings, you escorting me with one weapon or another, the dramatic yet quite serious threats, the blackout… yet I can remember when it was all expected.

MASTER:

~chuckles, forcing the Doctor down to his knees on a cold stone floor~ make yourself at home, Doctor. You’ll be used to it again in no time. ~traces the knife across his shoulders~

DOCTOR:

~grunts slightly when he’s forced onto his knees, knowing better than to try to get up~ you still don’t get it, do you?

MASTER:

~snarls~ No. You don’t get it. ~crouches down, grabbing a fistful of the Doctor’s hair and forcing his head back, tapping the knife against his throat indecisively~

DOCTOR:

You can do whatever you want to me now, the damage is done. You could put me in the worst physical pain imaginable and I’m alive, so I’ll scream and yell and everything else, but you can’t take away any more than you already have.

MASTER:

~lightly draws the knife across the Doctor’s neck, immediately licking away the blood from the wound~ oh really? Do tell.

DOCTOR:

~bites his lip slightly at the sting of it~ you’re gone, New Gallifrey doesn’t really mean anything to me, most of the humans are gone along with Jack and the TARDIS, Alia’s more so your soldier than any daughter, so I’m done. I’m sick and tired of constantly trying and failing to fix everything. You could say I’ve given up.

MASTER:

~brings the knife down to cut the Doctor’s shirt open, too lazy to deal with the buttons individually~ awh, I really wish we could have done this mutual thing a little longer. ~makes a vertical slice on the Doctor’s chest, small but with artful precision~

DOCTOR:

~there’s a small, quick intake of breath from the Doctor and he shies away slightly~

MASTER:

~continues from the cut already made, making a diagonal and then a vertical slice, creating an “N”; stands up and pulls upward on the Doctor’s collar~ get up.

DOCTOR:

~stands obediently, wishing that it wasn’t the Master doing this and that he could just stop caring~

MASTER:

~pushes the blindfold down~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor is met with the same darkness only now he can see the faint outline of the Master and a glint from off of what looks like a cage in the corner. He’s pushed back into a chair against the wall before he can really assess much else~

MASTER:

~gets back to work as he adds an “E”, “V”, “E”, and an “R” to the previous N~

DOCTOR:

Never…? ~looks confused, it becoming obvious by the state of his eyes that he was crying at some point~

MASTER:

Don’t rush me, ~sounds almost offended, carving the words “give” and “up” into the Doctor’s chest, as a reminder of his broken promise he openly admitted to not too long ago~

DOCTOR:

~speaks sorrowfully~ never give in, never cruel nor cowardly. The words of a man who wanted to be a hero, not understanding that cruel and cowardly would at some points be his only options.

MASTER:

I suppose you can’t be called the Doctor anymore… ~smears the blood across the Doctor’s chest with a hand, sitting on the Doctor’s lap and brushing his fingers down the Doctor’s cheek and smearing blood there~ hm… what shall I call you…

DOCTOR:

~struggles to keep himself together, not answering the question as he fully expects the Master to~

MASTER:

~drags out the thoughtful silence, drawing circles on the Doctor’s cheek in blood~ hm… decisions, decisions… ~looks down indecisively~ you’ll be My Puppet.

DOCTOR:

~meets the Master’s gaze, sighing~ sounds fitting. ~mumbles something under his breath, the only clear word being “Master”~

MASTER:

~sets he knife on a nearby table~ yes? ~looks at the Doctor expectantly, bringing his other hand to the Doctor’s shoulder~

DOCTOR:

~a faint smile crosses his expression~ I said, “so that would make you the Puppet Master.”

MASTER:

~smiles, draping his arms over the Doctor’s shoulders~ yes, indeed it would. ~leans forward and murmurs silkily in the Doctor’s ear~ would you like me to untie you, Puppet?

DOCTOR:

Y-yes, Master… ~tries not to get lost in the Master’s hypnotism—that’s all it is, pure manipulation~

MASTER:

~reaches over for his knife, touching the blade to the rope that binds the Doctor’s wrists~ will you be a good boy for me?

DOCTOR:

Yes. ~finds his trained response of thinking through the Master’s rules a mixture of helpful and unwanted~

MASTER:

Good. ~saws the rope apart, until the Doctor can freely move his hands; tosses the rope bits aside and stands up, pulling off the Doctor’s suit jacket and torn shirt~

DOCTOR:

~is about to get up when the Master takes his undershirt and suit jacket, realizing he doesn’t know if he’s allowed and staying seated, stretching his shoulders a little and letting his arms hang at his sides~

MASTER:

~points to the ground~ first rule. No more standing. Unless I tell you to. Disobedience of direct orders will earn you punishment… ~walks over to a corner of the room, picking up an uncoiling a long whip~ which I can demonstrate.

DOCTOR:

~tenses, his eyes locking on to the whip, forcing himself to nod slightly~ understood. ~hoping the Master might not feel the need to really demonstrate though he knows the likelihood of that is slim to none~

MASTER:

~senses the Doctor’s thought process, smirking slightly~ you did disobey one of my orders. Go on, now. ~gestures at the floor with the whip~

DOCTOR:

~slides off of the chair onto his knees, crawling over to the Master and being careful not to act too slowly as the _last_ think he wants is to bore the Master. Sits in front of the Master, facing away from him~

MASTER:

~takes the fabric previously used as the blindfold off of the Doctor’s neck before bearing down on him harshly with the whip~

DOCTOR:

~cries out at the first crack of the Master’s whip despite his efforts to be ready for it, though he doesn’t dare move away~

MASTER:

~continues to slice the whip across the Doctor’s back repeatedly, until he’s satisfied with the angry red cross-hatches patterned down his spine~ another thing. You will ask permission whenever you want to do something I haven’t told you to.

DOCTOR:

~answers in a hoarse, pained tone~ yes, Master…

MASTER:

Lie down on your back. ~rolls the whip up again~

ENVIRONMENT:

~now that the Doctor’s eyes have gotten used to the lighting, he can see the room is mostly empty apart from a table with shadowed items on it, the cage in the corner, and a few stacked cardboard boxes~

DOCTOR:

~does as he’s told, moving slightly beforehand so his head isn’t on the Master’s feet and grimacing as he lays down on his raw back, not letting himself think about what might be on the table~

MASTER:

Now stay. ~sets the whip down in its corner, coming over to tie the blindfold over the Doctor’s eyes again~ if you move at all before I return, I won’t let you have any rest for the remainder of the day.

DOCTOR:

~the hairs on the back of hisneck stand on end at the thought~ okay, Master.

MASTER:

~pats the Doctor’s cheek~ Good. Don’t worry, Puppet, I shan’t be gone long. ~stands back up to leave~

DOCTOR:

~lies still, making sure he doesn’t move as he lets his mind wander through the past~

~•~

MASTER:

~after a while—no too long, as the Master had promised—he returns and announces his arrival~ hallo; I’m back. ~a heavy door closes behind him, locking. Gets down beside the Doctor, something cold and wet touching the wounds on his chest~

DOCTOR:

Hello… ~tenses at first, expecting pain of one sort or another, but relaxes when it just feels like the Master cleaning his cuts, realizing that he must have bled quite a bit by now—lay on his back, don’t move… concern?~

MASTER:

~while one hand uses the wet cloth to clean the blood off of the Doctor’s chest his other gently brushes back the Doctor’s hair~ did you stay as still as possible?

DOCTOR:

Yes, Master. ~gives a faint smile~ no more movement than it takes to breathe.

MASTER:

Good. ~places a small kiss on the Doctor’s forehead, setting the cloth aside and gently removing the Doctor’s blindfold~ I’ve just brought some things for your cuts.

DOCTOR:

Thank you. ~looks over at the Master, trying to convince himself that the Master doesn’t really care, that this is all an act of manipulation, be he’s quickly beginning to think that that’s not the case~

MASTER:

You are quite welcome. ~spreads a different substance into the cuts, making them sting horribly~

DOCTOR:

~flinches and hisses through his teeth at the pain, his reaction dying down to a grimace as he starts to expect the feeling~

MASTER:

~blots them with a clean cloth to dry it, collecting both rags and tossing them over near the whip. Stands up and walks over to the chair, sitting down with a thoughtful sigh~ I wonder what would happen to my empire if I went missing for a day.

DOCTOR:

~brings his hands behind his head in a more comfortable relaxing position than he was in before~ well, Saffron’s probably worried sick, the Toclafane probably won’t do anything, but Alia might. As for the rest of the ship, they’ll probably go about whatever’s normal—maybe slack off a bit…

MASTER:

~hums thoughtfully, going quiet for a moment before standing up with sudden decision~ let’s head out. ~walks over and picks up the Doctor’s chain~

DOCTOR:

Okay. ~sits up, going to stand but remembering the rule, moving onto all fours instead~

MASTER:

~walks past, leading the Doctor to the staircase and glancing back at him as he starts scaling the steps~ I don’t believe we took a tour of the Citadel last time.

DOCTOR:

No; you were worried about construction site accidents. ~climbs the stairs a little awkwardly, knowing he’ll get used to it~

MASTER:

~nods~ ah, yes; but no one is actively building at the moment. ~reaches the top of the stairs and walks outside~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the sunlight is almost blinding~

DOCTOR:

~looks down, squinting at the ground until he gets used to the light, silently thoughtful for a moment before saying~ hey, uh, sorry… about saying that you’re gone earlier. You’re still the Master—you’re still _my_ Master.

MASTER:

~smiles, getting down on one knee beside the Doctor and ruffling his hair~ and you’re still my Doctor.

DOCTOR:

~grins happily, suddenly realizing why the Master chose now to point out that he broke his own rules—he has broken them before, but he never gave up on the Master~

MASTER:

~stands back up, tugging gently on the Doctor’s chain before starting to walk down a path between buildings~

ENVIRONMENT:

~some of the smaller ones are already build but the taller towers aren’t quite there yet. The streets are deserted~

DOCTOR:

~looks around himself as he crawls along next to the Master, the act not diminishing his nostalgia for it all~ Master… did you really consider pulling the trigger on me?

MASTER:

~glances down at the Doctor, not having expected the question~ at the time, yes. I hesitates to see what you would try to do and by then it was too inconvenient.

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly, looking like he just made a decision but only saying~ okay.

ENVIRONMENT:

~they enter the main part of the city~

MASTER:

~probes the Doctor’s mind with curiosity, trying to find what he was thinking about~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t object though he knows what the Master’s doing. When the Master finds his thoughts from a moment ago, it’s clearly linked back to the Doctor’s list of why he was giving up, the reason to what he had said being the assumption that the Master was going to shoot him; the conclusion after the assumption was confirmed being that the Master was (and possibly is) not in his right mind—the thought that he might simply not care lies rejected in the background of the memory~

MASTER:

~relaxes slightly, smiling and letting the Doctor know that he’s being good, appreciating that he was let into the Doctor’s mind without trouble~ that right there ~points to the most grand half-built building in the square~ that’s headquarters.

DOCTOR:

~looks up at the building the Master has to be talking about, recognizing it as the tower where near the top Rassilon would make his decisions with the High Council on the original Gallifrey, chuckling slightly~ the only times I got into that building on the original Gallifrey, I broke in.

MASTER:

~walks silently for a few paces before coming to a halt; looks back at the Doctor somewhat sorrowfully~ does New Gallifrey really mean that little to you?

DOCTOR:

~looks up at the Master, meeting his gaze~ no. Most of what I had said was a defense mechanism. With the knowledge only that you wanted to hurt me and you weren’t acting predictably, I had to assume the worst and try to keep what I care about preserved.

MASTER:

~smiles slightly, pulling gently on the chain to move the Doctor closer to himself, looking down at him and speaking softly~ sometimes those lapses just happen. ~brings his other hand to the Doctor’s cheek~ I’m glad I didn’t end up killing you.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at the Master~ and I, you. Also, don’t think you can stop me from caring that easily.

MASTER:

~looks innocently perplexed~ what do you mean?

DOCTOR:

If you really believed my emotional rant, you’d have to believe I basically stopped caring—at least to the extent to which I’d actually give up on you and Alia and the TARDIS. Also, I did almost impulsively pull the trigger in the elevator.

MASTER:

But, I don’t _want_ you to stop caring. ~protests softly, coming down to look at the Doctor at eye level~ how you can care about so much, I don’t understand; but I love you for it.

DOCTOR:

~smiles warmly at the Master, his smile fading slightly when he responds~ I never said _you_ were trying to stop me from caring.

MASTER:

Nonsense. ~cuffs the Doctor’s ear playfully, standing and looking around~ let’s head back; this isn’t going to be deserted for long… ~checking the time~

DOCTOR:

Okay! I did finish the terraforming device’s design, by the way; I didn’t just come up because Saffron got me to panic.

MASTER:

Oh really? ~grins widely with pride~ excellent! I’ll head back to get to work on it as soon as possible. ~strides back the way they came~

DOCTOR:

~follows along, it taking a little effort to match the Master’s stride while crawling, smiling~

MASTER:

~his initial quick step slows a little later, not glancing down at the Doctor as he speaks less eagerly~ I can’t take you with me, though.

DOCTOR:

~looks up at the Master, more curious than anything else~ why not?

MASTER:

I have a plan ~looks down at the Doctor, seeming apologetic~ and you just can’t come with me to the Valiant right now.

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~is a little disappointed but also wary of this “plan” if he can’t be around for it~ I trust you won’t do anything stupid.

MASTER:

~laughs, the Doctor’s concern amusing him~ of course not. ~pauses in front of the staircase, glancing at the Doctor before starting to slowly walk down the steps~ it’s for your sake.

DOCTOR:

Yeah, that’s exactly why I’m worried. ~follows the Master, smiling faintly though only at the Master’s laughter~

MASTER:

No, ~still smiling~ the _plan_ is for your sake. ~shakes his head slightly, walking out into the room and closing the door behind them~ I’d rather not have to explain it all.

DOCTOR:

Okay. ~gives up on pressing for more information, deciding to just trust the Master~

MASTER:

~detaches the Doctor’s chain, patting his head gently and nudging him towards the open cage~ I shouldn’t be gone more than a day, at most. ~speaks softly~

DOCTOR:

~moves in the direction he’s being nudged in~ okay, Master…

MASTER:

~follows him and closes the door of the cage behind the Doctor, which has a few blankets inside, crouching down to lock it~ I’ll bring you a treat. ~opens his mind to the Doctor, smiling slightly~ and feel free to contact me.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back, finding the Master’s more reachable mental presence comforting~ thank you; see you-… whenever you come back!

MASTER:

~smiles warmly, reaching in to caress the Doctor’s cheek before standing back up and hesitantly walking toward the door; pauses before getting there, pulling the string of a dangling light that turns on and dimly illuminates the room so the Doctor’s not in complete darkness~

DOCTOR:

~glances briefly at the light, mentally portraying his appreciation for the consideration~

MASTER:

~nods slightly, opening the door and closing it behind him without further delay~

DOCTOR:

~layers the blankets in the cage on top of each other, then lays on top of them, getting comfortable as he expects to be there for a while~

~•~

DOCTOR:

~checks in with the Master once he feels like he’s been lying there for a while~

MASTER:

~takes a minute to respond, apologizing for the delay and saying that he’s gotten back to the Valiant~

DOCTOR:

~acknowledges the Master’s response, easily accepting the apology, not really knowing how to start any sort of conversation when nothing’s happening around him~

MASTER:

~casually informs the Doctor, with an almost reserved excitement that in not too much longer, he won’t be the only Timelord in the Citadel~

DOCTOR:

~responds positively, though he’s not entirely sure what the Master means by his statement~

MASTER:

~assures him not to worry about having the room infiltrated, easily explaining that today they’re going to start populating the Citadel with the loomed Timelords, and they’ll be pre-briefed on the workings of things so they’ll be able to get right to work on helping finish the buildings~

DOCTOR:

~answers with excitement for the progress, finding himself looking to the potential future again, speaking to himself~ helping the Master run a new empire… never thought I’d enjoy it—or look forward to it…

MASTER:

~seems pleased by the Doctor’s enthusiasm, after a moment of nothing he praises the Doctor for his work on the terraforming device, saying it shouldn’t take him long to get materials for it. Perhaps they’ll even be moving into the Citadel by the end of the month~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the Master’s praise, also made happy by how well things seem to be going so far—though there are bound to be problems along the way, as there have been~

MASTER:

~after that, the Master’s end of the link goes silent and he doesn’t seem to have a long enough break to talk to the Doctor for quite a while~

DOCTOR:

~messes with the blankets out of sheer boredom, eventually trying to make a functioning ball out of one and rolling that around for a little while~

~•~

MASTER:

~gets back to the Doctor by the time he’s not expecting it, seeming cheerful as he says he might be able to stop in for a brief visit when he checks how things are coming along~

DOCTOR:

~perks up a bit at the information, having kept himself at least mildly entertained, eager to have any company he can get before he starts naming the blankets~

MASTER:

~realizes how lonely the Doctor must be, asking him (if the Master can even visit in the first place) if he’d like the door to be left open so he could interact with some of the other Timelords~

DOCTOR:

~answers in the positive after a short moment of decision, the hesitance only regarding his rapidly diminishing sense of pride but he finds that his current position isn’t really diminishing in and of itself~

MASTER:

~goes quiet again for a while, leaving the Doctor in silence for another chunk of time~

~•~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a somewhat startling knock on the door~

DOCTOR:

~jumps as he hasn’t heard anything for so long, crawling up to sit in close to the front of his cage and calling to the door~ yes…?

VOICE:

{Hello? Are you alright, sir?} ~a voice calls back, belonging to someone he doesn’t recognize~

DOCTOR:

{I’m fine… why, did something happen?} ~the use of Gallifreyan by an unfamiliar voice catches him more off-guard than the knock did~

VOICE:

{It’s just you seem to be locked in a room in a city where all the doors should be open. Can you get out?} ~the voice seems to be female, carrying concern~

DOCTOR:

{I’m alright, and I do believe I could get out if I really tried. However, that would upset the Master and that’s something I’d rather not do. Hello, by the way, I’m the Doctor.}

VOICE:

{Oh-} ~the woman cuts off~

ENVIRONMENT:

~one set of footsteps approaches the door while another leaves, just before the door opens~

MASTER:

~enters~ hello ~he is smiling widely~ I suppose you already have some idea, but we’ve got a real city now.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at the Master happily, his blanket-ball visible behind him along with a layered mat of other blankets~ hello! Yes, I was just talking to one of the Timelords—though I suppose you knew that.

MASTER:

Yes. ~smiles slightly, closing the door behind him and walking over~ I brought you a treat, ~crouches down in front of the cage, looking in at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~watches the Master excitedly, not feeling the need to move more than he already has~ what is it?

MASTER:

~shakes his head slightly~ nothing special. ~reaches into his pocket, taking out a small cube of sugar and offering it to the Doctor through the bars of the cage~ I hope you weren’t too lonely while I was gone.

DOCTOR:

~wipes a hand that’s filthy from crawling everywhere off on his trousers before going to take the sugar cube with it~ I kept myself busy.

MASTER:

That’s good. ~moves the sugar cube out of reach when the Doctor tries to grab it with his hand, raising his eyebrows slightly in warning~

DOCTOR:

~brings his hand back to the floor out of understanding, meeting the Master’s gaze apologetically~

MASTER:

~relaxes slightly, once again offering the sugar cube with an open hand~ I’ll leave the door open for you. If you’re still alright with that.

DOCTOR:

Thank you—and yeah, please do. ~speaks before carefully taking his treat with his mouth~

MASTER:

~allows the Doctor to take the sugar cube in his mouth, smiling slightly and reaching in to place his hand on the Doctor’s cheek~ would you like to go out and see the city again when I get back?

DOCTOR:

Yes! ~easily speaks around the sugar cube, which is, of course, slowly dissolving in his mouth~

MASTER:

~combs his fingers through the Doctor’s hair affectionately~ alright, I need to go now. I’ll be back as soon as I can.

DOCTOR:

Okay, Master, see you then… ~lets his head lean into the Master’s hand slightly~

MASTER:

~stands up and smiles at the Doctor before turning and walking to the door, leaving it open instead of closing it again behind him~

ENVIRONMENT:

~sounds from outside reach the Doctor more easily now, though the Gallifreyan conversations are too quiet and cacophonous to decipher~

DOCTOR:

~lays back on his blanket mat, enjoying the sugar cube while listening to the indistinct sounds of a Gallifreyan city~

WOMAN:

~after a few moments the woman who had been talking to the Doctor earlier timidly walks back down the steps, dressed in a common robe~ {Hello? Are you still there?}

DOCTOR:

~by now his sugar cube is gone. Sits up as he speaks~ {yes; hello!}

WOMAN:

~peers into the room, looking around for the Doctor before spotting him in the cage with surprise~ {Oh! What are you doing in there?} ~takes a hesitant step into the room cautious~

DOCTOR:

{Waiting for the Master to get back… again. As for the cage,} ~shrugs indifferently~ {it’s where the Master wants me for the moment, so it’s where I am.}

WOMAN:

~looks concerned~ {are you okay with being in there?} ~takes a few steps further into the room, looking around before noticing the Doctor’s injuries~ {you’ve been hurt! What kind of cruelty is this…?} ~asks almost accusingly at the room around her~

DOCTOR:

{Sh, calm down, I can explain all of this if you have the time and really want to know, but don’t get angry for me—as I am not, in fact, angry.}

WOMAN:

~seems to calm down accordingly, walking over to sit down on her knees beside the Doctor’s cage~ {I know the Master is the head of our High Council but, I thought you were high ranking as well, Doctor.}

DOCTOR:

{Indeed I like to think I am—I can even persuade the Master on certain matters, but betraying his trust has consequences to begin with. I am not only to be second in command, but the Master’s lover—so when I went against him, it was not simply another inconvenience; I hurt him. So I’m slowly regaining that trust and making amends, but still there’s another factor to all this.}

WOMAN:

{another?} ~seems distressed, the Doctor’s situation seeming distressing enough already with all the information given~

DOCTOR:

{The Master has psychological issues, which I try to help, but sometimes there’s nothing to do but let him vent. As long as I take the brunt of that venting, it at least affects others a lot less.}

ENVIRONMENT:

~the pattering of small feet echoes from the staircase~

BOY:

~a young boy wearing an academy robe peers in~

WOMAN:

~gets up and hurries over to him, quietly trying to explain he shouldn’t be here right now~

DOCTOR:

~smiles, easily sitting back in his cage and patiently waiting for the situation to be dealt with as he can understand that he might not be a sight for a child at the moment~

WOMAN:

~she manages to get the child to agree to explore here later, turning back to the Doctor apologetically~ {my apologies. We’re all so curious; there’s so much to explore…}

DOCTOR:

{it’s really perfectly fine. I asked that the Master leave the door open so I can talk to you all rather than sitting here alone in a pile of blankets.}

WOMAN:

~slowly comes back over to where she was before, looking at the Doctor curiously~ {you… you said you could get out if you really wanted to?} ~looks over the cage and the Doctor’s state~

DOCTOR:

~reaches into his pants pocket for his sonic~ {my sonic screwdriver… I hardly ever use it to screw things, though. It can scan and hack and unlock things and make some things explode and reverse the polarity of a neutron flow…} ~finds both his pockets are empty~

WOMAN:

{oh, I’ve heard of those…} ~looking at the Doctor’s hand expectantly~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles slightly~ {alright, Master…} ~brings his hand out of his pocket and onto the floor~ {I guess I can’t get out—he must have taken it while I was unconscious. Like I said, he doesn’t trust me.}

WOMAN:

~looks at his empty hand~ {so you can’t get out…} ~stands up, looking around and walking over to the table, picking up a long, thin tool with a blue tip~ {is this it?}

DOCTOR:

{Indeed, but it’s probably best if you leave it there. Anything that even looks like an escape attempt or any sort of rebellion will probably just make things worse for both of us.}

WOMAN:

~hesitantly sets it back down, looking through the items on the table with a small look of discomfort before lifting up a string with a few feathers and bells on the end, the toy jingling as she picks it up~

DOCTOR:

~his gaze drops to the floor~ {yes, I’m sure there are plenty of ‘toys’, so to speak, that the Master has left there and has yet to show me.}

WOMAN:

{toys-} ~repeats the word out of surprise, setting the item down on the table~

MAN:

~a male Timelord climbs down the steps and speaks to her, not giving the Doctor much thought~ {come on, we have a job to do.}

DOCTOR:

~looks to the other Timelord~ {oh yeah! You’re all supposed to help with the citadel, right? It is hard to remember everything the Master says…}

MAN:

~glances at the Doctor as if just noticing his presence~ {Yes, we all have a job to do. What about you?}

WOMAN:

~steps over to the other Timelord, ready to head up the staircase~

DOCTOR:

{I’m the Doctor. I’m to be second in command next to the Master—yeah, I know I don’t look it. I suppose I shouldn’t keep you two from your jobs, but what’s your name?}

MAN:

~looks at the Doctor in confusion, glancing at the woman as if she would have an answer before turning back to the Doctor~ {I don’t believe we have names, sir.}

DOCTOR:

{I guess that makes sense, it would have taken a lot of work to name you all… alright then; is there any title you’d like me to call you by?}

MAN:

{I don’t think anybody really knows what they want to be called yet.} ~responds uncertainly~

DOCTOR:

{Alright. Sorry if I seemed insistent; I’ve made a habit of remembering everyone’s names from companions to people I spent less than a minute talking to…}

MAN:

~nods and turns, walking back up the steps~

WOMAN:

~looks at the Doctor~ {Would you mind if I came back sometime? Then maybe I’ll have a name.} ~smiles slightly~

DOCTOR:

{I may not still be _here,_ but I would be happy to speak to you again sometime!} ~smiles back at the woman~

WOMAN:

~smiles and nods, back, stepping onto the first stair~ {I understand. I hope to see you again, Doctor.} ~starts up the stairs~

DOCTOR:

~messes with his makeshift ball some more as he once again has nothing better to do~

~•~

ENVIRONMENT:

~for a while, he only hears the background noise of the city~

BOY:

~the quiet young boy timidly makes his way down again, peering around the door at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~notices the boy after a short moment of continuing to bat the ball back and forth, figuring it’s too late to cover his injuries so the child doesn’t see~ {you’re the boy from earlier, right? You might not want to explore here, though I’ll happily talk with you if you want.}

BOY:

~hides behind the door, still looking at the Doctor as he’s followed by more pattering footsteps~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the footsteps belong to an older boy and another that seems almost non-binary~

BOY2:

~the taller walks into the room and looks around~ {cool… hey mister, what’cha doing in there?} ~points at the Doctor, his tone seeming harsh compared to the woman’s earlier concern~

DOCTOR:

~gets a little indignant~ {I’m waiting for the Master himself to come back—I’ve also been taking note of who gives a good impression. I’m the Doctor, by the way.}

BOY2:

~laughs~ {I’m not scared of you!} ~walks up to the cage, crouching down and grinning, suddenly resembling the Master~ {You’re stuck in a cage; you can’t run away.}

ANDROGYNE:

~walks over to the table, hopping up to sit on it and searching through the items casually, their feet dangling back and forth~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head vigorously but briefly, backing into the back corner of his cage, quite quickly beginning to look as helpless as he is. Mentally tries to be casual about letting the Master know he’s quite possibly about to be abused by a child~ {I’m contacting the Master right now, he won’t be happy if he has to come all the way down here to stop you!}

ANDROGYNE:

~the child on the table reaches over and pours a container of water over the Doctor’s head through the top of the cage~

BOY2:

~laughs~ {why should we believe you?}

DOCTOR:

~distressed, decidedly sits up with a posture of authority, his expression blank as he looks at the child on the table~ {you don’t have to, but whether or not I’m telling the truth you will face the consequences of your actions.}

MASTER:

~cooly acknowledges the Doctor’s situation, saying he’s on his way~

BOY:

~the quiet one by the door steps towards the others, seeming distressed~

ANDROGYNE:

~discovers the cat toy, picking it up and dangling it into the Doctor’s cage teasingly as they respond~ {you’re trying too hard to be scary. It doesn’t work.}

DOCTOR:

{I know I’m not scary, but now you can’t say I didn’t warn you.} ~glances from the second child to the toy to the first child then back to the second, not as worried now that the Master responded~

ANDROGYNE:

~drops the string onto the Doctor’s wet hair, glancing over at the first child with a devious smile as they pick up the Master’s knife~

BOY2:

~the first child stands to return the smirk, walking over and taking the knife by the handle~

BOY:

~timidly, the boy by the door speaks in protest~ {hey… um…}

DOCTOR:

~takes the string and sets it aside, watching the children, utterly unable to do anything for the situation other than speak~ {I’m an abused war veteran; how much do you really think I’m afraid of two inexperienced children who happen to have a knife?}

CHILDREN:

~the other two seem to ignore the third child by the door~

ANDROGYNE:

~the one with the knife climbs up on top of the Doctor’s cage and dangles it over the Doctor’s head almost like the string had been~ we don’t {know what we’re doing; isn’t that scary enough?}

DOCTOR:

~calmly moves out from under the knife~ {there are many animals without the capacity to really ‘know what they’re doing’; are you afraid of bugs?}

ANDROGYNE:

~pokes the blade through the bars, nudging the side of the Doctor’s head~ because-…

MASTER:

~there’s a stern shout from the stairs~ {Everyone, out! Now.}

ANDROGYNE:

~flinches out of surprise and drops the knife, it ending up slicing the Doctor’s cheek and landing on the Doctor’s lap; it would have badly cut him there too if he hadn’t been wearing trousers~

DOCTOR:

~picks up the knife, grimacing and setting it aside but still in the cage, muttering~ what is it with my cheek getting cut…?

MASTER:

~walks down the steps, obviously not happy as he looks around at the children~ {I said get out!}

CHILDREN:

~having gotten over the initial shock of the Doctor being right, the three of them scramble towards the exit, racing each other back up the stairs~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, sliding the knife out of his cage so he’s not armed if the Master should approach him~ thank you, Master…

MASTER:

~picks up the knife and sets it back down on the table, right away unlocking the Doctor’s cage and crawling in to wrap his arms around the Doctor despite the fact that he’s just been drenched with water~

DOCTOR:

~after a brief moment of surprise, brings his arms around the Master as well, not worrying about the fact that he has probably gotten his blood on the other Timelord but just letting himself be comforted by the hug~

MASTER:

~lets go after a moment~ I should have known it wouldn’t be safe to leave the door open. ~looking at the Doctor with deep concern, gently swipes a finger across the smaller, more recent cut on his cheek~

DOCTOR:

~lets his hands fall to his sides, giving a small smile~ I’m fine, and it’s not like one should expect cruelty from people who aren’t given any motive.

MASTER:

~wipes the blood away carefully, checking the rest of the Doctor’s visible skin to make sure he has no more injuries other than the ones he had inflicted~ I should have expected it from a Timelord population loomed mostly from my own DNA patterns.

DOCTOR:

Now that’s hardly fair to yourself; when have you hurt me without the drums? Children aren’t always a logical mixture of their parents, in fact they can be completely different when it comes to their personality.

MASTER:

~looks to the side in thought, trying to find an answer to the Doctor’s question with determination; eventually looks back at him, smirking~ now.

DOCTOR:

What? ~seems very confused as well as worried as “now” could very well mean the Master’s just about to hurt him—but without the drums?~

MASTER:

That’s right. ~speaks delicately, spitting in the Doctor’s face disrespectfully before getting out of the cage and standing; picks up the sonic screwdriver and snaps it into four pieces, dropping them to the ground in front of the Doctor, picking up the knife and turning to walk out of the room~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the pieces in utter confusion~ why? ~seems to snap back to reality, quickly going to stand but hitting his head on the ceiling of his cage and tumbling out of the cage’s door rather than walking, ending up sitting in front of his cage staring up at the Master with wide eyes~

MASTER:

~looks back at the Doctor~ I don’t need you anymore. ~walks to the door, climbing up the stairs as he shrugs theatrically~ why would I want such a pathetic disgrace to help me run a planet? ~chuckles in amusement~

DOCTOR:

~staggers after the Master, tears starting to fall from his eyes~ what? No! You can’t just—you can’t! Master! I did every goddamned thing you asked, you made me this!

MASTER:

~spins around, swinging the knife out and slicing it across the Doctor’s throat~ that’s just the cruel reality of human nature, isn’t it? ~smiles slightly~

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand to his neck, falling to the floor and choking on his own blood as he speaks~ n-no… you-your na-ture… ~the life quickly leaving his eyes~

VOICE:

~a young female voice reaches the Doctor’s ears~ are you awake? Or are you just sniffling in your sleep?


	17. Sleeping Beauty

 

ENVIRONMENT:

~suddenly the Doctor’s lying under the covers in a comfortable bed~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes snap open and dart around the room~ no, no no no… ~curls up into a ball on the bed and sobs to himself~ another dream, another in another in another all in one. I died, so I go back here, I wake up.

ALIA:

~walks over, polished pistol in hand, placing a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder in concern as she speaks~ *Hey, what’s going on?*

DOCTOR:

~flinches at Alia’s oddly inhuman voice~ stop… you’re not real, I know. Maybe I never even opened my eyes… that could have been part of the dream, too…

ALIA:

Dad, you’re awake, it’s fine. ~rubs his shoulder gently, backing up a little~ I’ll go fetch father, he’ll want to know.

DOCTOR:

He doesn’t care… ~his voice comes quietly~ tell him if you must, but I just want this convoluted nightmare to be over.

ALIA:

~looks concerned, putting her gun in its holster before turning to walk out of the room~

MENTAL:

~after a moment the Doctor has a sudden mental shock as it feels like something substantial leaves him~

DOCTOR:

~panics, immediately checking his mind for the link and gaps in his memories~

MENTAL:

~the link has been entirely broken off, leaving the Doctor by himself in his own mind~

DOCTOR:

~just continues to sob to himself—he can’t do anything about all this, why try to stop or help an imaginary empire destroying an imaginary race? Why does he have to care so much about something that never really happened?~

ALIA:

~returns a while later, seeming perplexed~ I can’t find the Master anywhere… ~walks back to the Doctor’s side, noticing his distress~

DOCTOR:

I wouldn’t know where he is. The link’s gone, so either he’s dead again or he doesn’t want anything to do with me.

ALIA:

~her voice going robotic again, grits her teeth angrily and scoffs~ *That little-…*

DOCTOR:

~glances up at Alia~ Why do you sound like that? Like a robot, I mean. Did GLaDOS do something to you?

ALIA:

~chuckles darkly~ *You could say that. But no; I’m afraid I’ll have to put you in stasis until we can get this issue fixed. The test will continue at a later, less convenient time.*

DOCTOR:

~seems to put two and two together fairly easily~ so this dream _has_ all been a test… you sadist…

ALIA:

~her chuckle grows into a laugh~ *I guess it really is time to wake up now, Doctor.*

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor’s environment goes black, like the powering down of a TV screen~

DOCTOR:

That’s what you said last time… ~holds a small hope that he’s really waking up, not even trusting his own wishes~

ENVIRONMENT:

~before anything else comes to his attention, he feels an aching pain in his head—a stinging pain in his cheek, his back and etched into his chest, along with the familiar pain from his cut-up feet~

DOCTOR:

~groans in pain, feeling like every injury he endured in his dreams that didn’t kill him are here~

ENVIRONMENT:

~slowly, the rest of the world comes to light—white at first, with other blurred shades, and then coming more to focus: there’s a curved opaque surface above him, enclosing his whole body, almost like he’s in a futuristic coffin/MRI machine. Several wires connect to him, keeping him immobile; he doesn’t seem to actually be hurt anywhere, but he still feels the pain~

DOCTOR:

I fucking knew you were controlling the dream… are? Can’t know… I’ll never know, I suppose. ~checks for the telepathic link again~

MENTAL:

~the link has still been broken~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a considerable amount of muffled noise coming from somewhere to the Doctor’s left, a repetitive banging and frustrated movement~

DOCTOR:

Master…? ~tries to move to get out now, figuring staying put is doing nothing for him~

ENVIRONMENT:

~sharp metal prongs are holding the Doctor’s head in place, making it difficult to move without hurting himself. The noises pause after the Doctor speaks~

DOCTOR:

~stops trying to move, speaking instead~ Master, is that you? Am I awake? Well, you’d say yes to that either way…

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a brief pause, and a muffled response~

MASTER:

Doctor? You awake?

DOCTOR:

I… think so. Well, can’t actually be sure, but it would generally seem like I am, in fact, awake.

MASTER:

I’m sorry, I- ~seems to be speaking between sobs~ I had to do it, there was no other way to get out, ~his voice wavering drastically~ I’m sorry

DOCTOR:

Wait… I figured you were behind the link breaking—I think I understand what happened there—but… does that mean it was—was always you? Was every Master really you?

MASTER:

Y-yes… ~takes a moment~ but I don’t remember all of it, [muffled] mixed around and She was… ~trails off into distressed whining that’s too muffled to understand~

DOCTOR:

You-! ~sighs, calming himself down~ sh, Master, it’s alright, I just-… did you know? How much did you remember from one dream universe to the next…?

MASTER:

Ow-! ~squeaks briefly in pain, going quiet for a minute as he calms himself, continuing more clearly~ I didn’t know. At least not until recently. She gave me fake memories between each universe, turning them off and on…

DOCTOR:

Alright… and how am I supposed to think this isn’t another set-up from GLaDOS to send me into another form of total devastation?

MASTER:

~whimpers briefly in frustration, asking uncertainly after a moment~ is there anything you know I know but GLaDOS doesn’t?

DOCTOR:

I’m not sure… ~ponders that~ seems she’s figured out Gallifreyan as that was in the dream… she’s been inside both of our heads as well… do you remember the name of my illegal cousin?

MASTER:

She could have been channeling it through our own knowledge of the language… ~trails off, thinking for a moment~ let me see… Lungbarrow, that was the family, right? Wait, I remember; it was Owis!

DOCTOR:

Indeed! So you are, at least, you. I don’t see any reason for GLaDOS to have known that. It doesn’t give complete validity to anything else around me, but it’s something.

MASTER:

~whining in aggravation~ now if I could only get out of this stupid-… ~there’s another banging sound from the Doctor’s left~

DOCTOR:

Are you just trying to break it with your bare hands or something? ~searches himself for where and how the wires are attached to him without moving his head~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the wires are evenly spaced all around the Doctor’s body, stuck into his skin but not painful anymore, his clothes having been removed to accomplish full immersion. His wrists are restrained but his legs and feet aren’t~

MASTER:

Feet. Hands stuck. ~the banging continues with increasing frustration~

DOCTOR:

Well calm down, I doubt brute strength will accomplish anything. ~carefully attempts to detach one of the wires from himself using his foot~

MASTER:

~after one of the impacts, there’s a small half-click like that of a car door not fully closing and the Master exclaims triumphantly~ ha!

ENVIRONMENT:

~when the Doctor removes the wire, the others jolt him briefly, but he no longer feels pain from that particular spot where the wire had been~

DOCTOR:

~flinches at the jolt, continuing to remove the wires from his legs and feet, also trying to think of a way to free his wrists~ I stand corrected.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor manages to get most of the wires out of his legs before his vision starts to darken~

GLaDOS:

*Oh, no you don’t.*

ENVIRONMENT:

~the world goes dark again, before his surroundings take form and he’s lying on a cold stone floor, except his legs and feet are numb~

DOCTOR:

No… I need to get back- ~his eyes widen~ but what if I was hallucinating again? ~looks around himself to see what’s in the area and to try and determine what this reality will entail~

ENVIRONMENT:

~his surroundings seem to glitch and change, until he’s standing fully clothed and unhurt in the TARDIS console room~

DOCTOR:

~can’t help but smile solely because he’s back in his TARDIS, walking around the console with a little trouble as he’s numb, delicately sliding his hand along the rim~ hello, old girl, did you miss me?

TARDIS:

~she seems content, but confused at the Doctor’s question, asking where he went in the first place~

DOCTOR:

~smiles sadly~ I’m dreaming, I’m sorry, I’m not really here and neither are you, but I missed you; we haven’t gone on a trip in a while…

TARDIS:

~she agrees longingly~

VOICE:

Good mornin’! ~a voice comes from behind the Doctor~

ROSE:

~walks into the console room from the hallway, coming up to him and holding onto his arm~ so; where we going today? ~looks at him with an excited smile~

DOCTOR:

~startled, turns to Rose, instantly smiling out of recognition though he’s clearly out of it~ well, actually, um… ~doesn’t seem to know what to say~

ROSE:

~stops smiling, looking concerned~ something wrong? Is the TARDIS alright?

DOCTOR:

~smiles softly, looking at Rose~ no, the TARDIS is fine, it’s just-… alright, so say hypothetically speaking I’m losing hope and I’ve forgotten how to be the Doctor because of a long series of torturous events, what would you say to me?

ROSE:

~seems taken aback by the unexpected question, thinking~ I’d say-… you should get back out there and help people. ~her hands slide down from the Doctor’s elbow to his hand~ where’s this coming from all of a sudden?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head, clearly dismissing the question~ Rose, what’s your favorite fairytale?

ROSE:

Fairytale? ~laughs disbelievingly for a moment, stepping over to stand in front of the Doctor~ alright… sleeping beauty? I liked that as a kid.

DOCTOR:

~smiles a bit more like himself~ who wants to see what really happened? ~finding the coincidence a little unnerving but shrugging it off~ lots more science and probably aliens, less magic, but still fun!

ROSE:

~smiles back~ let’s go! ~drops the Doctor’s hand, walking around to the opposite side of the console~

DOCTOR:

~strides to the keyboard to set coordinates and make sure the stabilizers are off and the brakes are on, almost tripping over himself~

ROSE:

~grins, holding onto the rim of the console in preparation~ so how do you know where to look? ~not noticing the Doctor’s trouble walking~

DOCTOR:

I know the general area the story should take place in; from there, I can trust the TARDIS to narrow things down. ~pulls the lever, gripping the console rim to try and not collapse~

TARDIS:

~rocks sideways as she flies~

ROSE:

~seems to be enjoying it but for the Doctor it’s getting very difficult to keep standing~

DOCTOR:

~his feet slip out from under him from the TARDIS’ near-violent rocking and he falls, having trouble hoisting himself up even after they land~

ROSE:

~comes over to the Doctor and crouches down beside him in concern, offering her hand to help him up~ are you sure everything’s alright?

DOCTOR:

~takes Rose’s hand, getting up with her help, sighing~ you’d think I’ve gone insane if I told you… ~he seems to be gradually regaining the feeling in his legs~

ROSE:

~stands up and brings a hand briefly to the Doctor’s cheek before her demeanor changes from concerned to playful~ off you pop; let’s go! ~turns and happily runs up to the doors, opening them and looking outside~

DOCTOR:

~follows at a happy stride, looking at the one coral-like pillar to see if his trench coat is there to throw on~ what do you see?

ENVIRONMENT:

~the trench coat is draped over the same column by the front door, as always~

ROSE:

~steps outside~ it looks like a… castle? ~looks around~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they’ve landed on a dreary alien planet, and the structure in front of them seems like the home of someone powerful and scary~

DOCTOR:

~takes the trench coat and throws it on as he walks out, reaching to test the atmosphere with his hand beyond the shields~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the air is thick with moisture, but breathable~

ROSE:

This is a different planet, right? ~asks curiously~

DOCTOR:

Yeah; an extremely humid one at that, but it seems safe enough—well, as safe as we get. What do ya say we go say hi to the owner of this fine establishment? ~starts to walk towards the castle~

ROSE:

~hesitantly walks out of the safety of the TARIDS’ shields to follow the Doctor with a chuckle~ “fine” establishment? To each their own… ~glances around at the sickly trees and foliage in their vicinity~

DOCTOR:

~looks around himself as well as he walks, muttering~ so Sleeping Beauty’s in your data banks, GLaDOS…? Or at least generic Disney ominous forest.

ROSE:

~walks up behind the Doctor when they reach the large front doors~

ENVIRONMENT:

~one side drifts open to reveal a grand foyer strewn with the collapsed bodies of at least five servants, the room lit by candles that are starting to burn down to nothing~

DOCTOR:

Hm… almost comical door-opening. I suppose no one’s conscious enough to care if we look around… ~steps in, looking around the fairly impressive area and taking out his sonic and trying to find the reason why the servants are unconscious~

ENVIRONMENT:

~he starts to feel woozy, and the sonic reveals a tinted mist in the air~

ROSE:

~steps in after the Doctor, starting to stagger after less than a few seconds~ Doctor… what’s in the…

DOCTOR:

Air. Gas. Don’t know why it’s still tinted, though, if everyone passed out as long ago as it would seem… ~tries to find the source though he’s finding it difficult to focus~

ROSE:

~stumbles back out of the room, breathing more easily once outside~ maybe we should head back and get masks first. ~speaks when she’s feeling more steady~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s no real clue as to a source of the gas from what the Doctor can see~

DOCTOR:

~staggers out after Rose~ yeah… right… I have those… ~starts a little unsteadily in the direction of the TARDIS~

ROSE:

~follows after the Doctor, glancing back as the large door closes itself, coughing a little~ so it was gas that put them to sleep?

DOCTOR:

~by now his legs feel fully returned to normal~ Yes, but where’d it all come from? ~“or is it just a robot’s limited interpretation?” he stops himself from adding~

ROSE:

~walks up to the TARDIS door, heading inside and going to look for gas masks~

MENTAL:

~while she’s gone the Doctor feels the jolt of the link reestablishing, though it seems dormant~

DOCTOR:

~mentally checks the link while he’s waiting, finding the initial inactivity odd—though perhaps the Master wasn’t dropped into this as suddenly as him~

ROSE:

~returns with two gas masks, handing one to the Doctor before getting her own on, speaking before it covers her mouth~ right; let’s go.

DOCTOR:

~puts the gas mask on, starting towards the castle~ hey, Rose… ~turns to her while asking~ are you my mummy?

ROSE:

~shoulders the Doctor playfully~ oh, shut up. ~walks with him back to the front door of the castle~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles happily, pushing the doors open to go in again once they get to the castle doors~

ROSE:

~walks into the foyer, the gas no longer affecting them; walks up to one of the collapsed servants, checking their vitals just to be sure they’re just unconscious~ so the whole castle should be asleep… that’s what the fairytale said. ~stands back up~

DOCTOR:

~looks around himself, taking note of his surroundings~ which way should we explore first? I can’t find the source of the gas from here.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the stairs in the center go up and branch off to the right and to the left, while on their current floor to the left there is a grand archway into a fancy sitting room and other doors to the right~

ROSE:

Ummm…. I don’t know…

DOCTOR:

~shrugs, randomly choosing to go up the staircase and to the right~ I suppose it doesn’t matter too much which way we head first…

ROSE:

~follows, stepping over the sleeping people on her way over~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there is a balcony that extends along the length of the room at the top of the chosen stairs, and more doors on the side opposite of the railing. In the middle is an archway, leading into a vast ballroom where a group of well-dressed alien individuals are sleeping as well~

DOCTOR:

~checks inside one of the rooms across from the railing at random, honestly not knowing where to go~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room the Doctor checks looks like a personal study, with papers and books strewn across the desk and the floor. It is unoccupied but the gas seems less thick here~

DOCTOR:

So it wasn’t vented through the whole place, or at least not in a way that gassed every area evenly… so it should have started in a general area or where the main target—“sleeping beauty”—was at the time. ~starts toward the ballroom~

ROSE:

~peers into the study, following the Doctor as she looks around with curious awe~ maybe it was an attack, then? Instead of a spell…

ENVIRONMENT:

~the gas in the ballroom seems a little thicker than the concentration of the gas in the foyer~

DOCTOR:

Well, clearly… sorry, that was rude, I’m rude. ~carefully steps over bodies, looking for another door to check through~

ENVIRONMENT:

~at the end of the room, which is a little hard to see through the foggy air, there’s a small staircase that moves up and to the left~

ROSE:

~quietly follows after, pausing briefly to notice the human features of the aliens they’re walking over~

DOCTOR:

~goes to and climbs the staircase, speaking without turning to Rose~ I suppose a spell can be an attack, though, and an attack can be a spell…

ROSE:

~follows him up~ are you saying spells exist?

ENVIRONMENT:

~the staircase starts to curve and come around until it’s facing the opposite direction than it was originally, leading to a hallway that extends to the right but the gas is noticeably thicker here~

DOCTOR:

Yes, I am—it’s an art of wording mastered by the Carionite that even I have trouble believing even though I know it exists and how to use it to an extent. ~walks down the hall, feeling like he’s getting somewhere with his search now~

ENVIRONMENT:

~at the end of the hall, rooms along the way having been fanciful guest rooms, there’s a door that seems grander than the rest, with a sleeping guard at his post beside it~

ROSE:

Do you think it’s possible to wake them up…? Accidentally?

DOCTOR:

They could wake up when they get all of this gas out of their lungs, but I don’t think you can accidentally wake them up. ~goes to the big fancy door to open it, able to guess that it should be the most important~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the door takes a bit of a yanking to get it open, revealing a bedroom like that of a king—the layout somewhat echoing the Master’s room on the Valiant, though not as large. The strange thing is that the air in the room is absolutely crystal clear~

DOCTOR:

~walks into the room cautiously examining his semi-familiar surroundings~ Rose, did that door look airtight to you?

ROSE:

Um… ~walks in after the Doctor, closing the door behind them and having to shove it closed~ it’s definitely difficult to move. It might be. ~doesn’t remove the mask out of caution, noticing that someone’s lying on the bed and walking over with curiosity~

DOCTOR:

~notices Rose’s actions after a short moment, following once he realizes what she’s looking at, interested~

MASTER:

~lies on the bed, seemingly asleep but looking like he’s been prepared for an open-coffin funeral, dressed in a princely white Victorian suit with a fancy sash and everything, his hands folded around a white rose resting on his chest~

DOCTOR:

~manages to keep himself together for a total of nine seconds before bursting into laughter~

ROSE:

~looks between the Doctor and the man lying on the bed, smiling as if trying to get the joke~ I can understand why they’d have a princess in the fairytale instead… it doesn’t seem very heroic for the princess to come save the prince.

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head, recollecting himself~ no, sorry, I couldn’t care less about human gender roles. This man’s no prince, though he may think himself one… I’d explain, but-… check his pulse.

ROSE:

~comes up and puts two fingers under the Master’s wrist, quietly feeling for a pulse before looking back at the Doctor with a worried expression~ what pulse?

DOCTOR:

~suddenly snaps to attention~ what do you mean? ~already practically shoving Rose aside to touch his forehead to the Master’s to easily check everything at once~ was there a version of the fairy tale in which she was dead and magically revived instead of awoken?

ROSE:

~retreats hastily, moderately confused as to why the Doctor seems so concerned over someone she assumes he doesn’t know~ I don’t believe so. Though it’s possible she was never asleep in the first place.

MASTER:

~does not, in fact, have a pulse; but somehow the link between them is still present~

DOCTOR:

Well if the link is here-… perhaps he’s been suspended in time? Rose, make a bet, how much do you think the story you know is accurate beyond gender?

ROSE:

~tries her best to think up a quick answer~ well it’s uh, been pretty accurate so far, so it’s like to correspond with the rest of the… ~trails off in confusion~ what do you mean by that, Doctor?

DOCTOR:

True love’s kiss, right? ~speaks as he takes off his gas mask, kissing the Master with no further explanation, the action filled with genuine concern—though irrational as he knows this is a dream, backing off after a short moment~

MASTER:

~tosses aside the rose and brings his arms around the Doctor, pulling him back down for a better, more passionate kiss~

ROSE:

~stands there stupefied, slowly removing her mask~

DOCTOR:

~matches the Master’s passion in an instant as he kisses him back, his hands moving to either side of the other Timelord’s face~

MASTER:

~backs off, grinning up at the Doctor~ my knight in shining armor. ~pats the Doctor’s bottom flirtatiously~

ROSE:

~seems a little put off~ Doctor, you know him?

DOCTOR:

~grins back at the Master, blushing slightly and turning to Rose like a flustered idiot~ right—Rose, this is the Master, he’s a Timelord, and we’re-… ~glances at the Master~ I guess “lovers” is fitting enough?

MASTER:

If it was your kiss that brought me back, it must be so. ~agrees with a strangely sophisticated tone, standing up off of the bed and picking up the white rose~

ROSE:

~looks at him, almost hurt, and lowers her gaze instead of meeting the Doctor’s~

MASTER:

~bows with a hand behind his back, offering the rose to the Doctor from the other side of the bed~

DOCTOR:

~takes the rose from the Master in a grand gesture and places it in his breastpocket though the other Timelord’s acting pretty oddly, realizing afterwards what he’s done to Rose and looking to her~ I’m sorry… I did—I do-… but you’re human, I can’t.

ROSE:

~she looks up briefly, protesting with a nervous smile~ but he’s only just met you!

MASTER:

~looks across at Rose in apologetic concern, asking~ am I disrupting something? My sincerest apologies…

DOCTOR:

~briefly looks to the Master~ no, Master, it’s fine. ~turns back to Rose, explaining~ it’s a long story, but the Master and I were friends before I even met the TARDIS. He’s acting oddly, but there’s a reason for that, too. I can explain more thoroughly back at the TARDIS, if you want the full story.

MASTER:

You speak in tongues, sirrah! ~shakes his head in protest, walking around to the Doctor and taking his left hand while the other comes to his waist, as if about to sweep him off into a dance~ let us experience each other while the memory of your sweet kiss is still fresh in my mind.

DOCTOR:

Master, GLaDOS messed with your head to fit a fairytale, I don’t intend to take advantage of that. Look in your mind. ~emphasizes the link~ we’re telepathically linked, we’ve kissed before and we’ve danced before and I’d gladly do it again, but there’s clearly something wrong.

MASTER:

~shakes his head dismissively~ I see nothing of what you describe. But yes, there is something wrong; the entirety of my castle is asleep! Do you per chance happen to know how long it’s been?

DOCTOR:

We have reason to think it’s been quite a while, but I’m not sure, everyone looked alright. There was a gas, though, hence the masks. ~seems to still be processing what he’s seeing, the Master acting almost scarily uncharacteristic~

ROSE:

~puts her mask back on, the mention of it reminding her~

MASTER:

~backs away from the Doctor and draws a sword from his scabbard, looking at the Doctor with determination~ how do we vanquish said gas?

DOCTOR:

It’s not alive… it just puts you to sleep if you breathe it in. Your sword will do nothing. ~starts towards the door to open it, putting his gas mask back on~ Rose and I can handle it; until then, I don’t recommend you leave this room unless you want to be put to sleep to.

MASTER:

~gets out of his defensive stance, looking at the Doctor cluelessly~

ROSE:

~follows the Doctor out into the hallway with relief~ {Well, _I’m_ completely lost.}

DOCTOR:

Gallifreyan, Rose? ~looks at Rose in surprise, though he knows it’s GLaDOS’ doing~ {I mean,} I’ll explain in {either language}, but still, {you’re human}.

ROSE:

~looks confused now~ oh, sorry. What was I saying?

MASTER:

~protests in the Doctor’s mind, wanting to help~

DOCTOR:

~responds that they don’t have another gas mask for him~ you said you were completely lost.

ROSE:

Yes, why is it this… “master” is… ~loses her words, unable to complete her question~

MASTER:

~indignantly states that he’ll find another way out then~

DOCTOR:

He doesn’t normally act this way, and as for why we’re together, we _are_ the last two Timelords—well, not really, technically speaking, but this all is a very long story about very dysfunctional individuals. ~devotes a small portion of his mind power to monitoring the Master~ we grew up on Gallifrey together.

ROSE:

~looks down at the floor, not really knowing where her feet were taking her~ oh.

MASTER:

~brushes the Doctor off like a pesky fly~

DOCTOR:

Rose… ~sets a hand on her shoulder, stopping, his voice lowering so he doesn’t now hurt the Master~ I do-… I do love you, but the reason I could never say it is… it hurts. I always knew you had to—you’ll be gone before me, and I don’t want to watch you wither away and die while I stay just as I have been.

ROSE:

~looks at the Doctor for a moment, silently turning away from the Doctor and walking down a hallway, which has windows on the left side that show a courtyard beyond~

DOCTOR:

Well, if the goal is to get this gas out of here… ~checks if there’s any way to open the windows as that seems to be the most logical course of action, letting Rose walk out of clear view~

ROSE:

~stops by one of the windows~ if not we could try breaking them… ~steps up to it, finding a crank and turning it to prop the window open~

DOCTOR:

~opens the window he walked up to as well, going to open others, clearly worried about something but not saying~

ROSE:

~assists, until all the windows in that hallway are open and the gas is filtering outside. Looks over at the Doctor~ is there something wrong?

DOCTOR:

~sighs, staring out the window he opened last~ I miss when the answer to that wasn’t always yes…

ROSE:

~walks over to the Doctor’s side, looking out the window in case he’s noticed something out there, only seeing another row of windows across the way, on the opposite side of the courtyard~ I’m here if you need anything. ~comfortingly rubs the Doctor’s back~

DOCTOR:

~just seems to get more frustrated~ but you’re not. This is a dream, you’re gone and it’s gotten so hard to be the Doctor and I’ve gone against what that means so much… back to the man you met before you fixed him up.

ROSE:

~brings an arm around the Doctor’s waist~ maybe it’s the Master. The difference between then and now is who you keep company with.

DOCTOR:

~tenses like one would before hitting someone, shaking his head though Rose’s point has some weight to it~ No. GLaDOS is speaking through you, I shouldn’t have said anything.

ENVIRONMENT:

~by now the gas seems considerably thinner, especially in the current hallway. It may take some time to get all of it filtered out~

ROSE:

It’s alright. ~speaks with understanding as if the Doctor’s claims are completely accepted~

DOCTOR:

~hits Rose’s arm off of him, striding away towards the room they left the Master in~

ROSE:

~seems offended by the Doctor’s brush-off, following him after a moment but at a distance~

DOCTOR:

~opens the door with a bit of effort, guessing the fog’s thin enough to be safe for the Master—and he’d rather pass out with the Master than keep talking to Rose at the moment~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room is empty, with one of the large windows in the back being wide open~

DOCTOR:

Thought so… ~quickly goes to the window, hoping the Master wasn’t stupid enough to just jump~

ENVIRONMENT:

~outside the widow is a straight drop to the ground~

MASTER:

~is climbing down from handholds in the cobblestone wall, touching the ground and looking up with a smile~ hello there!

DOCTOR:

~smiles back, removing his mask to holler down to the Master~ hey! The gas should gradually leave now… might take a while. Shall I meet you out there?

MASTER:

Aye, good sir! ~nods dutifully as he calls back up, starting to walk around toward the front of the castle~

ROSE:

~walks into the room, keeping her mask on~

DOCTOR:

~quickly puts the mask back on to run out and down, retracing his steps and not letting himself care about whether or not he leaves Rose behind—she’s not Rose, so he doesn’t have to care~

MASTER:

~at the entrance, the Master is just now coming around and he looks at the Doctor in surprise~ you’re a quick one! ~stops, putting one hand on the handle of his sword and the other in a pocket, a casual stance~

DOCTOR:

Why thank you, I certainly wouldn’t want to keep you waiting. ~walks out of the castle, smiling~

MASTER:

~walks up to the Doctor with a grin~ so how do you like my castle? I assume you’ve been around it a bit.

DOCTOR:

It’s rather nice, though I’d bet it’s even better when the people in it are conscious.

MASTER:

~smiles and nods, though he seems to be more focused on the Doctor himself rather than his words~ yes, indeed… It would be even better if you were to reside here as well; don’t you think?

DOCTOR:

~seems a little hesitant~ I’d have to drop Rose off at her home first… ~nods in decision~ but it would be my honor. And my pleasure.

MASTER:

~smiles sweetly, reaching up and touching the Doctor’s cheek lightly~ is this a ship you speak of? Used to transport your rose?

DOCTOR:

Well… the TARDIS is more than a ship, and Rose is the name of the girl who’s currently travelling with me—and in no way owned by me, but otherwise, I suppose so. Would you like to see her? The TARDIS, I mean.

MASTER:

Certainly. ~adjusts the position of the white rose in the Doctor’s breast pocket~

ROSE:

~walks out of the front door, taking off her gas mask once she’s out~

DOCTOR:

Alright then, allons-y. ~offers his hand, the gesture seeming more friendly than anything else, decidedly ignoring Rose~

MASTER:

~takes the Doctor’s arm readily, not noticing Rose’s presence~ what does that term mean? “Allons-y”?

DOCTOR:

~starts towards the TARDIS~ it’s French, for “let’s go”.

MASTER:

Ah! Yes, I’ve heard of the language. ~walks along with the Doctor cheerfully~

ROSE:

~catches up with them and seems irritable~ what’s going on with you, Doctor?

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t even turn to look at Rose~ She’s speaking through you, Rose, answering to you is like answering to GLaDOS herself—Rose understood and respected me as well as any human could. Sorry, GLaDOS, this representation is poor.

MASTER:

~glances back at Rose, before looking at the Doctor sympathetically~ I’m not sure I understand, but doesn’t the lady deserve some respect?

DOCTOR:

GLaDOS has lost every scrap of respect I have for Her, and that isn’t my Rose, that’s GLaDOS’ Rose. It’s hard to explain… ~sighs~ and you’d think me insane if I did. Besides, I can’t even know I know the entire truth.

MASTER:

~stops when they reach the TARDIS, nodding along and dismissing the topic like Rose had~ pardon me; what did you say your name was?

DOCTOR:

Oh! I’m sorry, I’m the Doctor… And I just had an idea… ~opens the TARDIS doors flamboyantly~ welcome to my home, my family, my ship, and my best friend! ~turns to Rose, smirking~ I know I can’t really _know_ anything.

ENVIRONMENT:

~in a moment, the dream environment crumbles and goes black; once again the Doctor finds himself waking up in a stasis chamber, all of the wires reattached to him and his ankles are now restrained~


	18. Not That Easy

DOCTOR:

~immediately knows where he is~ Master!? If you’re awake, we have a few minutes to try to get out of here.

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s no response~

MENTAL:

~through the link the Master seems to still be asleep~

DOCTOR:

~finds the Master still being asleep improbably but puts that thought aside as he looks for a way out~

ENVIRONMENT:

~everything about the chamber is the same as before, except for the extra wires and the ankle restraints, leaving the Doctor practically immobile~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, agitated if slightly impressed by the technology as he’s left to stare at it until GLaDOS comes back, also thinking through his dreams~

GLaDOS:

*You should know by now that paradoxes are only minor, temporary advantages over me that make me power up in a bad mood.* ~speaks only through to the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

It’s a decision, isn’t it…? Oh, right, yeah, I woke up, so technically my plan worked, but I don’t care about that or your mood right now…

GLaDOS:

*You should be concerned. I can make your life hell.*

ENVIRONMENT:

~he’s abruptly pushed back into a dream state, finding himself back in the situation with Valiant Master, tears still wet on his cheeks as the other Timelord draws back the knife to prepare a deadly blow~

MASTER:

~falters though, looking at the Doctor and then the knife in confusion~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master, his expression changing from that of despairing sorrow to anger~ go ahead, do it! Kill me because you don’t need me, whip me because I’m standing here and using this tone, that’s what you do, right?

MASTER:

But sir— ~stops what he was saying almost immediately, his gaze dropping to the floor and it shows on his expression as his memories change, looking up and speaking gravely~ no. that’s what She does.

DOCTOR:

~seems a little caught off-guard, realizing with a little thought that the Master’s right, not even knowing what to do with the information~

MASTER:

~drops the knife, realizing the situation and conveying through the link in a brief thought that he knows what’s going on, but soon won’t; turns and quickly heads up the stairs to put some distance between himself and the Doctor before that happens~

DOCTOR:

~understands, picking up the knife and throwing it into the room, realizing afterwards that no matter what they do GLaDOS will get her way—if the technology’s good enough, She may never have to wake them up again~

GLaDOS:

*It certainly is easier to do it this way. But, some tests cannot be conducted within a dreamworld. It’s either too controlled or too unpredictable.*

DOCTOR:

Thanks…? ~pauses for a moment in thought~ you know, it’s quite a shame, really… the only reason you aren’t at your full potential as an AI is how humans coded you.

GLaDOS:

~seems to ignore the statement~ *I really don’t have any scientific reason to keep you here now that you know it’s a dream.*

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly~ I got that from the lack of consistency and substance in “Sleeping Beauty”… interesting you say that, though.

GLaDOS:

*Are you wondering why I’m not letting you wake up?* ~asks flatly~

DOCTOR:

Not really, honestly, I can’t do anything about it and we do seem to hold a mutual hatred, so I can come up with numerous reasons—not that an answer would be unwelcome, but your word has lost all value to me as well.

GLaDOS:

*Suit yourself.*

MASTER:

~after a moment the Master’s footsteps echo from the top of the stairs, his mental presence back to what it was to fit the scene properly~

DOCTOR:

~just looks up the staircase at the entrance, wondering whether or not to expect the Master to just kill him~

MASTER:

~on his way down he sees the Doctor in the state that he’s in an adopts a look of concern~ is there something wrong? ~seems to dismiss the fact that the Doctor’s standing~

DOCTOR:

What, are you going to say I was hallucinating again? ~despite his bitterly sarcastic tone, he knows it’s not impossible~

MASTER:

No, no. ~looks hurt by the Doctor’s almost accusing voice, stepping up and bringing a hand to the Doctor’s uninjured cheek~ I’m sorry; I don’t know what came over me.

DOCTOR:

~looks almost confused by his own hesitance to respond as he looks at the Master~ how many times am I expected to forgive you because you can’t control yourself?

MASTER:

~sighs in disappointment~ that is a decision of your own. ~gives the Doctor a brief kiss, murmuring despairingly afterward~ if this is the limit for you, I understand. ~turns, solemnly walking up the stairs~ I’ll go.

DOCTOR:

~sighs, speaking after a short moment~ wait-… whether or not we trust each other, I do need you. Despite my sarcasm, as far as this universe is concerned, I’ve been hallucinating again… and I suppose I can’t assume otherwise.

MASTER:

~stops and turns back around, smiling slightly with relief~ alright; what do you need? ~looks thoughtful~ why would you still be hallucinating?

DOCTOR:

I don’t know… could be the small dosage of medicine or a more psychological issue.

MASTER:

Alright… are you sure someone else couldn’t be more suited to help you? ~walks down into the room, past the Doctor and to the table~

DOCTOR:

Unless any of these Timelords are born psychologists. Besides, I think it’s safe to say you know my mind better than anyone except the TARDIS.

MASTER:

~picks up the Doctor’s torn shirt and suit jacket, coming over to slip the Doctor’s arm into the right sleeve of both garments at once~ okay, let’s just… we’ll get back to the Valiant first.

DOCTOR:

~mumbles in thanks, putting his left arm into his shirt and suit jacket and suppressing a grimace as the clothing brushes against his injuries, going to button them up but quickly remembering he can’t~ alright.

MASTER:

~stands in front of the Doctor and buttons up the Doctor’s suit jacket with the buttons that weren’t broken off, an attempt to get him somewhat decent~ I’ll get you something better to wear when we get back. ~turns and starts walking up the stairs, looking back to make sure he’s being followed~

DOCTOR:

~nods, following the Master easily, thinking to himself and seeming troubled~ Master… what does one do with semi-credible advice when they can’t know whether it’s from themselves or someone they despise?

MASTER:

I’m not sure. ~glances back at the Doctor frequently, seeming uncomfortable having let him off of the leash. Walks through the street past hundreds of other Timelords, the scent of home almost overwhelming~

DOCTOR:

~shrugs, closing his eyes briefly to appreciate the smell~ alright then, why would I want to get rid of you or this? I _can_ see you watching me.

MASTER:

~forces himself to keep looking forward as he walks toward the edge of the town~ I’m just concerned about you.

DOCTOR:

I can understand why you’d be wary, I could hallucinate anything at any time, I just don’t want you to think that my grudge is such that I’d want any sort of revenge—revenge is stupid and solves nothing.

MASTER:

~walks around the outlying buildings, arriving at a runway~

ENVIRONMENT:

~one plane is already parked, but another one seems to be preparing to land~

MASTER:

~this makes him very concerned~ okay, what’s this…

DOCTOR:

What’s wrong? ~looks between the Master and the plane, not understanding why it worries the Master so much~

MASTER:

The only people allowed to fly are Alia, Myself and Saffron’s pilot. This is likely either Alia or an unwelcome guest—both of which are bad news. ~watches the plane descend, stepping back a bit to lean on the side of a building while waiting for it to land~

DOCTOR:

~watches the plane as well, figuring whatever’s going on it won’t help to worry about it before they know what it is~ I see you got the runway built, though.

MASTER:

~smiles slightly at the positive comment~ yes, I did.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the plane touches down, rolling to a stop~

MAN:

~a man the Doctor doesn’t recognize jumps out with a level of urgency and professionalism~ the Valiant has been infiltrated, Master.

DOCTOR:

By who? ~realizes his response is a bit out of turn for his position, glancing over at the Master apologetically~

MASTER:

~doesn’t have time to acknowledge the Doctor’s response~

MAN:

~answering gravely~ Daleks.

MASTER:

~immediately is heading for one of the planes, not about to wait for the Doctor if he doesn’t catch up~

DOCTOR:

~jogs to keep up with the Master, instantly understanding the weight of the issue~

MASTER:

~lets the Doctor get in first, before climbing in and closing the door behind him, starting it up as quickly as possible and turning the plane around to speed down the runway, not bothering with the headset and strapping in while maneuvering~

DOCTOR:

~straps in as the Master starts moving, looking serious but mentally not seeming nearly as worried as he should be~

ENVIRONMENT:

~as they approach the Valiant it becomes clear that they’ll probably not be allowed to land; there’s one of the smaller Dalek warships hovering above it, with Daleks swarming the runway~

MASTER:

{Damn…} ~turns the plane to fly along the outskirts of the Daleks’ radar, indecisive~

DOCTOR:

I can shut them down if I can get into their ship… It’d be easier with the sonic, but I’ve improvised before.

MASTER:

Doctor, how exactly am I supposed to get in there without being shot out of the sky first? ~shakes his head and growls in frustration, turning the plane back around~

DOCTOR:

You don’t have to if you can fly over it. I’ve fallen from pretty high before, if there’s no emergency equipment in here. Fly over, fly out, I’ll make all the Daleks have to return if I can do what I plan to so it won’t explode close to the Valiant.

MASTER:

~half-whimpers in indecision, protesting~ but what if you can’t get back out? I can’t just drop you onto a Dalek ship with nothing to defend yourself!

DOCTOR:

Master, would you rather see me die along with the Daleks or see new Gallifrey burn!? I can’t tell fiction from reality, I haven’t been able to save anyone in Aperture, I couldn’t save the original Gallifrey, let me at least try to save this one!

MASTER:

~looks at the Doctor with tears in his eyes~ I’d watch Gallifrey burn again if it meant keeping you alive. ~looks forward again and sighs~ there should be a parachute under the seat. ~turns the plane, heading up and above the Valiant~

DOCTOR:

I never meant to stay alive long enough to watch it burn myself. ~unbuckles the straps on his seat, looking under it to grab the parachute~ this isn’t a suicide mission; I will try to get out alive but stopping the Daleks has to be priority one.

MASTER:

~leans back in his seat because the Doctor has to climb over him~ just go quickly; I don’t want to have to circle around. ~approaching the spot directly above the ship, unlocks the door so the Doctor can push it open~

DOCTOR:

~hastily climbs over the Master and runs up to the door~ bye. ~pushes the door open and jumps out, falling towards the Dalek ship and opening the parachute a little close to the ground in such a way that he still tumbles in the direction the plane was going before stopping~

MASTER:

~flies off after the Doctor leaves~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Daleks are swarming the runway with shouts of “exterminate” and there’s a steady flow of them coming from the warship, though none of them seem to have noticed the Doctor right away~

DOCTOR:

~takes the parachute off and runs along the top of the warship towards where he knows there’s a door—on the central sphere of the ship—ready to dodge the Dalek lasers the second they see him~

ENVIRONMENT:

~before the Daleks would have turned about and noticed the Doctor’s presence a grenade detonates in the middle of them, knocking out a decent number of Daleks and a bit of the runway as well, charges from a type of gun used in the Time War starting to rain down on them~

DOCTOR:

~sprints now, glancing up to try to see where the charges are coming from, getting to the door on the sphere and attempting to fake out the plunger scanner lock thing~

ALIA:

~is waging one-man war against the wave of Daleks, hiding inside one of the planes and shooting until the charge runs out, throwing another grenade; as she does so a Dalek laser hits her in the chest, and she falls to the ground~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the scanner reluctantly accepts the Doctor’s attempt~

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen with tears in them as he ducks into the Dalek ship, wiping his tears away on his sleeve, running through various hallways until he gets to the Dalek equivalent of a fuse box~

DALEK:

~one of the Daleks still on the ship comes around the corner, shouting at the Doctor~ *INTRUDER; EXTERMINATE!* ~orients its gun at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Awh, I was hoping you’d recognize me, but I guess “intruder” will have to do. ~dashes to the Dalek’s side, holding its plunger so it can’t turn and shoot him~ and you can’t even shoot something right next to you; wouldn’t you call that imperfection?

DALEK:

~tries to turn and roll over the Doctor’s feet, protesting~ *DALEKS ARE SUPERIOR!* ~wiggling its two appendages to try to get the Doctor to let go~

DOCTOR:

~turns to lean back on the Dalek’s side, not letting it go~ honestly, I’m not even armed! I’m disappointed! ~his voice suddenly goes coldly serious~ but then again, I am the Doctor, and you killed my daughter. You will not get out of his alive.

DALEK:

*EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!* ~seems almost panicked now, rotating its head to scrape the Doctor away like a windshield wiper~

DOCTOR:

~ducks the eyestalk when the Dalek rotates its head, otherwise not moving~ can’t you see? We’re equals. The only way to exterminate the Doctor is to self-destruct.

DALEK:

~now tries to roll in one direction with as much force as it can muster~ *DALEKS DO NOT KILL DALEKS!*

DOCTOR:

~lets go and runs away, counting on the Dalek rolling itself at top strength and running to a control-panel-fuse-box thing to try to utilize their communications systems so he can be heard by the Daleks and anyone else on the Valiant~

DALEK:

~rolls off down the hallway in its haste to get away, inertia carrying it into one of the walls and stunning it~

DOCTOR:

~gets his ‘microphone’ set up~ ‘Ello, you lot! Guess who’s back and—whoops— _inside_ your warship? No weapons, no backup, hardly any plan, same game we’ve always played except one key motive… you shot my daughter.

ENVIRONMENT:

~quickly, the hallway to the Doctor’s left starts to fill with angry Dalek shouting, growing louder as they get closer~

DOCTOR:

~sprints down the hallway, running through the ship like a labyrinth to try to get to the main controlling area~

ENVIRONMENT:

~most of the Daleks are in one spot, and he runs into a few while running down the hallways but they don’t have quick enough reaction time to shoot at him accurately. In the control room are about five Daleks, one of them colored red and seeming more important than the others~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the red Dalek~ Hello; I’ve come to inform you I’ve already set the ship to self-destruct, but I can reverse it, if you don’t shoot.

RED DALEK:

~swivels around and the rest all keep steady aim on the Doctor~ *WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, DOCTOR?*

DOCTOR:

~raises his hands in surrender, smirking~ oh good, you _do_ remember me! Well, I- ~trips, catching himself by cupping his hands over another Dalek plunger control spot, using his control of his regeneration energy to mimic Dalek electronic signals to actually make the ship self-destruct, standing~ whoops!

RED DALEK:

*EXPLAIN!*

DOCTOR:

Ooh, sorry, I’m so clumsy. ~glances briefly at his bare wrist~ oh! I’ve got a date in five minutes and they’ll kill me if I’m late. Ciao! ~runs off opposite the way he came, figuring he can go around to avoid most of the Daleks~

ENVIRONMENT:

~Dalek gunshots follow him in quick succession, but once more he’s too quick for their reaction time; more Daleks seem to have boarded the ship now, and the Doctor comes to a hallway that’s blocked by three of them in a row~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t stop in his sprint until he’s directly between the whisk of one and the plunger of another, chuckling as he knows they can’t hit him without breaking formation, simultaneously trying to push them out of the way~

DALEKS:

~the third Dalek turns, while the other two continue to block the Doctor, the shouting of exterminate almost annoying by now as the third fires in the Doctor’s direction~

DOCTOR:

~ducks out of the way, more than used to shouting, trying now to get around—and if not, climb over—the Dalek wall~

DALEKS:

~the other Daleks turn around, letting the Doctor through but all three of them start firing~

DOCTOR:

~staggers away, turning in the right direction to escape the second he can, not daring to stop running—five minutes; he set the ship to destroy itself in five minutes so the Daleks couldn’t figure it out and escape fast enough~

ENVIRONMENT:

~he reaches one of the exit ramps, which is still open and heading straight out onto the Valiant where there’s still a concerning amount of Daleks swarming about, disregarding Alia’s body~

DOCTOR:

~looks around himself for a plane while trying to casually get to Alia. Broadcasts the fact that the warship is going to explode over the link, hoping the Master will get to a reasonably safe distance wherever he is~

MASTER:

~asks if the Doctor got out okay~

DALEKS:

~they turn towards the warship, some heading back to board and seemingly ignoring the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~responds that _he_ did… but Alia got shot. Checks Alia’s pulse, a little less worried as the Daleks ignore him but wondering why they’re retreating~

ALIA:

~her hearts aren’t beating~

ENVIRONMENT:

~when the warship detonates in a painfully loud explosion, taking the end of the runway with it, the Daleks start to panic~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, looking around if there’s a plane or something he can use as a weapon nearby—it’s not safe to stall for anything—his ears ringing~

ENVIRONMENT:

~Alia’s dropped gun is nearby, a few extra grenades and charge clips underneath the plane she had been using for cover~

DOCTOR:

~gets the gun to start shooting Daleks out of the sky while moving towards the ammo, facing the enemy and occasionally briefly glancing around himself—exactly what one would expect from a soldier~

ENVIRONMENT:

~soon the runway is littered with the Daleks the Doctor shot down, while the others flee—confused without their ship being present~

MASTER:

~carefully flies the plane back over, nervously trying to run over as few Daleks as possible while landing~

DOCTOR:

~shoots after the fleeing Daleks with more pause between his shots for carefully precise aiming, his expression emotionless~

MASTER:

~stops and gets out, heading over to the Doctor and watching silently as he strikes down more of the Daleks, about four or five left now~

DOCTOR:

~reloads the gun to shoot the last four or five, refusing to let even one go despite the fact that they’re quickly getting to be difficult to hit~ cowards… cruel cowards, killing her and fleeing when things get tough… didn’t even shoot at me.

MASTER:

~watches as the Doctor shoots the rest, only then turning his head to look down at Alia and speaking weakly~ I… I didn’t stop to think about Alia’s situation… I should’ve known she would-…

DOCTOR:

I saw her get shot… she died like a soldier… she was never supposed to become a soldier. ~lowers the gun, his emotionless expression faltering out of anger and sorrow~ she could have done so much more…

MASTER:

~crouches down beside her, carefully closing her eyelids~ …one year old… ~stands up and turns away, a hand over his face~ it’s my fault-… I-I’m sorry. ~quickly strides away, unable to meet the Doctor’s gaze~

DOCTOR:

Master, wait… ~runs to catch up before matching the Master’s stride~

MASTER:

~shakes his head~ I was the one who trained her as a soldier… ~keeps walking, not knowing exactly where he’s going~

DOCTOR:

I wasn’t going to say it’s not your fault; I don’t want to have to deal with this loss alone, though… not this one.

MASTER:

~slows to a stop and sighs, turning and wrapping his arms around the Doctor in a tight hug~ thank you for helping…

DOCTOR:

~hugs the Master back, letting his eyes close~ the Daleks are my responsibility; it’s my fault they’re alive in the first place. ~loosens his grip~ don’t thank me.

MASTER:

~doesn’t let go~ I have every reason to thank you. You saved a planet; once again. ~smiles slightly but his amusement is forced~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t smile back, but doesn’t let go either~ this wasn’t a victory.

MASTER:

~shakes his head in agreement~ I know. ~hesitantly steps back from the Doctor, looking at Alia and speaking quietly~ let’s bring her inside; check the damages.

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly, walking over to Alia’s body to scoop her up in his arms and carry her one last time, it clearly taking effort to keep himself composed~

MASTER:

~waits until the Doctor comes back with Alia to walk to the elevator, keeping his gaze on the floor~

DOCTOR:

~walks with the Master, letting silence settle in before they are inevitably asked what happened~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator comes to a stop, the doors opening suddenly to an entirely different place—an alien ship, dark and dreary. Alia and the Master are no longer there, and the Doctor finds himself uninjured, wearing his brown suit and trench coat~

DOCTOR:

~he sighs, hardly looking surprised though he doesn’t look like he has much emotion at all anyway~ what this time?

MENTAL:

~something changes in his mind, making him feel better overall as the memories of the Valiant fade away, a change that he’s unable to consciously detect~

ENVIRONMENT:

~in the room before him a humanoid figure pops up from behind a strange wall, the feline ears atop their head perked in curiosity~

DOCTOR:

~looks curiously at the cat-person with a slight, friendly smile~ hello, I’m the Doctor, who might you be?

CAT-PERSON:

~they leap up onto the desk-like surface, a slightly disturbing bone structure making the action look less awkward than it would be for a human~ hello, Doctor! Welcome to our fine establishment. You may call me Neuji; is there any particular type of specimen you’re looking for today? ~this “Neuij” comes across like an enthusiastic salesperson~

DOCTOR:

~looks at Neuji in apologetic confusion, shrugging~ I’m sure I might if I knew where I am.

NEUJI:

~seems hesitant, licking a paw-like hand almost nervously before gesturing confidently with their tail~ come, come on over; just show me an identification and I’ll explain everything in detail.

DOCTOR:

~reaches in his pocket for the psychic paper, hoping it’s there~ sure thing!

NEUJI:

~leans forward at the edge of the platform, peering at the piece of paper that the Doctor pulls out through slitted pupils skeptically before sitting up again~ it’s a little outdated, but it’ll pass. You’ve come to the right place—welcome to the finest tradeship in the Andromeda Galaxy. ~holds their chest out proudly~

DOCTOR:

~glances at the psychic paper, curious as to what it said, before putting it away~ and you trade in specimens of some sort… sorry, I’m a bit of an unorganized traveler.

NEUJI:

Ah, yes. This must be your first visit. We trade quality items of every kind—but we have a reputation for nurturing a diverse selection of eternally loyal assistants; each and every one is already broken in and fully prepared to work as laborers, companions, soldiers, or for personal entertainment.

DOCTOR:

~it takes all the self-control he has to not look put off~ I see… ~wondering whether the Master’s a salesman or for sale as he’s shown up in every dream so far~

NEUJI:

So! ~looks at the Doctor expectantly~ would you like to take a look at what’s available?

DOCTOR:

Yes, of course! ~smiles politely though he’s not sure how long his façade will hold~

NEUJI:

~grins like the Cheshire Cat, leaping down from the elevated surface and walking along on all fours, leading the Doctor towards a grouping of four round doors~ now, are you looking for something exotic or a little more familiar?

DOCTOR:

Well I’d say familiar, but I’m not from around here, so I’m not sure what each entails. ~looks at the doors in turn, curious despite himself~

NEUJI:

Oh, there’s diversity within each group, but familiar as in… ~looks the Doctor up and down~ humanoid? ~shrugs and nuzzles a sensor on the wall next to the second door~

ENVIRONMENT:

~it opens to let them into a long hallway of cells with a glass wall to see inside, though it seems to be only one-way~

DOCTOR:

~looks into the cells, seeming interested though in reality he’s getting sickened by this slave-trade ship as well as his own dangerously wandering thoughts~

ENVIRONMENT:

~each of the prisoners sits on the floor of their cell, their only garment a metal collar around their neck that’s chained to the ground. Neuji wasn’t lying, there are creatures of every gender and species, most of them at their prime age; one looks almost entirely human, if not for the white feathered wings sprouting from his back, which are clipped like that of a caged parrot~

NEUJI:

Like what you see? ~asks up at the Doctor as they walk~

DOCTOR:

Yes, indeed. ~acts impressed, and he is, mostly because this was apparently all somewhere in his mind—though he can hope this is actually mostly Her doing~

NEUJI:

Feel free to inspect any that catch your eye; ~adds as they continue down the quiet hallway~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they pass by a cell on the right where a particular blonde Timelord is curled up in the fetal position on the floor, peacefully asleep~

DOCTOR:

~comes to a halt in front of the Master’s cell—for some reason he didn’t expect the prideful, power-hungry Master of all to look so comfortable in such a belittling position~

NEUJI:

~stops with the Doctor, circling around to sit beside him in front of the Master’s cell~ interested? This is one of our most submissive products; it’s been thoroughly broken in and trained to please.

MASTER:

~turns slightly, a few scars on his back visible from a past whipping~

DOCTOR:

~has to stop himself from snapping and fighting Neuji once he sees the Master’s scars, saying instead~ ah, yes, it seems quite the specimen—though your whole stock is impressive.

NEUJI:

~nods proudly~ you have a keen eye, Doctor. So, anything here you like; want to look at more closely? If not I’m sure there’s something in one of the other wings that will interest you.

DOCTOR:

You are clearly a seasoned salesperson, but no, this is the one—oh! But what do you use as currency?

NEUJI:

Now it differs; we will accept certain credits and certain physical coin but it must be paid upfront. ~smiles slyly~ and in some cases I might be willing to negotiate a bargain.

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t want to even ask what the bargain is in this twisted situation if he has the cash, thinking he remembers having a card with a good deal of credits on it and checking his pockets~

NEUJI:

~their tail flicks appreciatively when they see the Doctor take the card out of his pocket~ it’ll fetch a large sum for this one. Are you sure?

DOCTOR:

Positive. ~goes to hand the card to Neuji, not caring what he has to pay to get the Master as long as he has enough~

NEUJI:

~takes the card with their hand-paws, licking it and sniffing it a few times, ears flicking thoughtfully~ it’s genuine. ~smiles brightly at the Doctor~ I’ll be right back after I make the transaction. Please, feel free to get acquainted while you wait. ~brushes against the glass before heading back~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the wall slides down without waking the Master~

DOCTOR:

~walks in, letting his mind and eyes wander as they please for a brief moment before speaking gently~ hello… ~his eyes locking onto the Master’s face~

MASTER:

~his eyes drift open and he glances around, his eyes finding the Doctor; gets up onto his knees and meets the Doctor’s gaze with awe, his head ducked slightly because of the length of the chain but still giving the Doctor his undivided attention~

DOCTOR:

~gives a friendly smile~ it’s okay, you can relax. I’m the Doctor! Do you have a name?

MASTER:

~loosens any tension that might have been in his muscles before speaking softly~ my name will be whatever you wish, master. ~asks somewhat hesitantly~ you… _are_ my master?

DOCTOR:

Well, yes, I suppose, since I bought you, technically, yeah. ~extremely not used to the Master behaving like this—or anyone, for that matter~

MASTER:

~nods and lies down on his back, eagerly spreading himself out in submissive display~ I hope I’m pleasing to you, master… ~it’s clear that he’s containing his happiness~

DOCTOR:

You don’t have to—I mean, of course you are pleasing to me… ~figures it’s best to play along for now so the Master doesn’t think he’s done something wrong~ I wouldn’t have spent the money if I didn’t want you.

NEUJI:

~slinks back over to the cell, the Doctor’s card held in his mouth like a fresh piece of prey, setting it on the floor~ it’s completed; it’s officially your property. ~gesturing to the Master at the latter statement; pads over to where the chain meets the ground and motions with their tail for the Doctor to come closer~

DOCTOR:

~walks over to Neuji after picking up and pocketing his card~ great! ~crouches down once he gets to Neuji to not be looking down at them so much~

NEUJI:

~gestures to the base of the chain, where there’s a small scanner; places a finger on it, then there’s a small green light that turns on~ now scan your finger, please.

MASTER:

~watches, his excitement growing~

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~puts his right pointer finger on the scanner easily, not questioning why~

MASTER:

~the chain is freed from the ground, but he makes no move to pull the rest of it out himself~

NEUJI:

~does that instead, handing the end of the chain to the Doctor that was actually longer than what had been visible before~ It’s been nice doing business with you.

DOCTOR:

~takes the chain with a polite smile~ indeed. ~stands to his full height, careful not to pull the chain beyond taut as he glances over at the Master~ so; let’s go home.

MASTER:

~gets up compliantly, not asking questions and following the Doctor at his right and slightly behind, his pure joy so intense that the Doctor can sense it without the link or even physical contact~

DOCTOR:

~can’t help but smile at the Master’s happiness despite its cause, trying to decide what to do when they get ‘home’ as he leaves the shady shop, hoping to find the TARDIS~

TARDIS:

~is in the main room where the Doctor arrived, almost as if he had never actually stepped out of an elevator in the first place~

DOCTOR:

~walks up to the TARDIS, opening her doors grandiosely~ whelp, here we are, me casa es su casa. ~looks over at the Master~ would you like something to wear?

MASTER:

I will wear clothes if you wish it, master. ~smiles, then starts to tear up and hangs his head~ I’m sorry if I misunderstood your orders.

DOCTOR:

No, no, it’s really alright… ~closes the doors behind them, gently setting a hand on the Master’s shoulder as a comforting gesture~ I just want to know what you personally want, so you can be comfortable.

MASTER:

~looks back up to the Doctor pleadingly~ the only desire I have is to satisfy my master’s wishes. ~recognition suddenly crosses his face and he barely chokes out~ Doc-tor…

DOCTOR:

Yes…? ~confused as well as concerned, looks at the Master, wondering if he just remembers being told his name or got all or most of his memory back~

MASTER:

~shakes his head, dropping to his knees and pleading~ I’m sorry, master, I’ve been bad… ~leans down and presses his face to the floor, presenting his backside up to the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Calm down, I can hardly tell what you’re talking about, I’m not angry with you, and my floor is grated so I am concerned that that must already be at least slightly painful.

MASTER:

~seems comforted by the command, relaxing and carefully lying down on his side, taking deep breaths until he looks completely calm. Meets the Doctor’s gaze and quietly awaits his master’s next request~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, smiling so the Master knows he did nothing wrong~ you can act on free will… really, I’m not going to hurt you. I see you as a person, not an object… we’re even the same species, we’re equals.

MASTER:

~looks baffled by the Doctor’s words, as if unable to comprehend this way of thinking~ pardon me, master, but what is… free will?

DOCTOR:

~explains patiently~ doing what you want rather than what I want… doing something only because _you_ want to.

MASTER:

~seems completely lost, lowering his gaze and not asking any more questions, simply lying there not knowing what to do next~

DOCTOR:

It’s alright, I suppose that’ll be a case of gradual understanding… ~walks up to the console, dropping the chain~ you can get up, by the way. This is the TARDIS, she’s my ship and home—speaking of which, hold onto something, I’m going to fly us out of the tradeship. ~goes to set coordinates~

MASTER:

~gets up, going straight to the nearest railing and holding onto it~ yes, master… ~forlornly looks down at his dangling chain, lifting it slightly with his other hand as if trying to understand why the Doctor didn’t want to hold it~

DOCTOR:

~glances over at the Master as he’s about to lift off, noticing the other Timelord’s expression with a soft smile, quickly coming up with a non-freedom based explanation~ I do a lot of running about while I fly her, I wouldn’t want to be yanking you around by your neck the whole time.

MASTER:

~smiles slightly, letting go of his chain and hesitating to say what he says~ thank you… Doctor… for getting me out of there. ~shudders, seeming to have indeed remembered enough to sound somewhat more like himself~ it was horrible.

DOCTOR:

I could see, to an extent… I sympathize. There’s actually a long, convoluted reason why I bought you but let’s leave first. ~pulls the lift-off lever to run about the console, flying the TARDIS~

MASTER:

~holds onto the railing tightly, not asking where they’re going and not letting go after they land, not having been told he could~

DOCTOR:

Rest assured, I’m nothing like those people. That aside, if I got the coordinates right, we’re on what I like to call mock-Gallifrey. ~walks over to check outside the TARDIS~

MASTER:

Gallifrey-? ~asks in surprise and sudden sadness, looking up from the floor at the Doctor as the door is opened to the familiar-looking planet and a few tears spill down his cheeks~

DOCTOR:

~gives a sad smile~ It’s not the real deal, but it’s close enough. I go here when I don’t feel like being on an inhabited planet… you think you’ll be alright to walk around a bit or would you rather we stay inside?

MASTER:

~still holding onto the railing, doesn’t bother to wipe his tears away as he looks at the Doctor, caught off guard by the sudden decision presented to him and falling back on his usual response~ whatever you- ~catches himself and lowers his gaze uneasily~ sorry.

DOCTOR:

It’s okay, Koschei. ~looks at the Master, hoping the name will be familiar, it starting to hurt how obvious it is that the Master doesn’t remember him by chosen title~

MASTER:

~perks up and meets the Doctor’s gaze again, hopeful and eager~ i-is that my name, master?

DOCTOR:

~sighs, painfully disappointed but faking a smile~ yes, it is. ~figuring it would just get confusing to call him ‘Master’~

KOSCHEI:

~smiles happily, seeming to hold himself more proudly~ thank you. ~glances back at the railing he’s holding, patiently waiting to be released~

DOCTOR:

~follows the Master’s gaze~ oh! Sorry, yeah, you can let go. So, why don’t we go take a walk around, if you’re up to it.

KOSCHEI:

~lets go, nodding~ yes. ~stops himself from saying the “master” bit, knowing he’s expected to act on free will and trying his hardest to understand what that means; walks over to the Doctor, waiting excitedly for his chain to be taken again~

DOCTOR:

~smiles a little more genuinely, recognizing Koschei’s efforts and taking the end of the chain before walking out to the familiar planet and closing the door behind them~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a breeze that chills the air slightly~

KOSCHEI:

~walks close to the Doctor, happy about being led but the metal around his neck quickly gets cold. Wraps his arms around himself subtly so as to not seem too needy~

DOCTOR:

~glances over at the Master~ wow I’m absent-minded, sorry… ~takes off his trench coat and puts it over the Master’s shoulders~ we should probably get you some proper clothes, then we can take this walk!

KOSCHEI:

~stops when the Doctor does, looking at the trench coat in surprise for a moment before smiling appreciatively and pulling it around himself without interrupting his chain~ okay. ~once again trying to make his consent sound like his own choice~

DOCTOR:

~walks back into the TARDIS, closing the door behind them and walking through the console room toward the hallway, not letting go of the chain~

KOSCHEI:

~follows in his usual manner, smiling cheerfully at the comfort of being told where to go, liking the coat because it was given to him by the Doctor but it hurts as the fabric brushes against the scars on his back and thighs. Tries to keep his winces to a minimum, not wanting the Doctor to think he doesn’t appreciate his gracious gift~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t look back again until they’re about three quarters of the way to the wardrobe, noticing Koschei’s expression~ I didn’t know they were still raw; I’m a doctor, I can get you something for your injuries, so don’t be afraid to ask. I do know what a whip feels like—or getting whipped, at least.

KOSCHEI:

~tries to think of a way to respond, it taking a good half minute to muster a somewhat independent answer~ th… that’d be nice. ~seems almost ashamed of his answer, ducking his head slightly as if expecting discipline~

DOCTOR:

Alrighty then. We’ll grab the clothes first since we’re close but wait until I’ve treated your injuries to put them on. Until then, that trench coat is softer on injuries than pretty much anything I have, so it’s that or nothing.

KOSCHEI:

Of course, master. ~slips up, relaxing slightly at how easily this response comes and he seems much more comfortable with it than what he was trying to do previously anyway, drawing the trench coat close about him~

DOCTOR:

~smiles, nearing the wardrobe~ I realize that you’re not exactly comfortable making your own decisions—and understandably so—so I’ll choose your clothes for you, if you want.

KOSCHEI:

~nods~ I’ll wear whatever you give to me, master. ~there’s a level of genuine reverence in his voice that makes it seem like he’s entirely given up on the attempt at free will~

DOCTOR:

~figures they can work on free will later through simple choices, opening the door to the vast walk-in wardrobe~ might take me a few minutes to find something…

KOSCHEI:

~looks around the large room with wide eyes, his gaze finding its way back to the Doctor~ I’ll wait as long as you need me to, master, if you don’t wish for me to accompany you.

DOCTOR:

Alright; feel free to look around on this floor, I’ll be back. ~lets go of the chain, heading up the stairs to go find something for Koschei to wear~

KOSCHEI:

~quietly repeats the Doctor’s words to himself but doesn’t like the taste of the word “free” on his tongue, shaking his head slightly and remaining standing where he is, letting himself be enveloped in the Doctor’s scent by the trench coat, giving him a sense of security and calm~

~•~

DOCTOR:

~comes back down after a few minutes with a folded bundle of light-blue clothing~ hey, I’m back!

KOSCHEI:

~looks up at the Doctor with a smile, excited by his return~ hello!

DOCTOR:

~smiles back, walking up to the Master to take the end of his chain~ let’s go get you some medicine.

KOSCHEI:

~nods, suddenly seeming a little nervous~ okay. ~turns, ready to follow the Doctor~

MENTAL:

~as a gradual process, the Doctor’s memories from the Valiant start returning, carefully placed so their return isn’t really obvious~

DOCTOR:

~walks along the TARDIS hallway, speaking hesitantly~ hey… you seemed to remember Gallifrey… do you happen to recognize the name… Theta Sigma?

KOSCHEI:

~looks up at the unexpected question, but doesn’t hesitate to answer~ yes, master. He was my closest friend from the Academy. ~shakes his head~ I’m no longer concerned with my past. That wasn’t me.

DOCTOR:

~his voice comes unsteadily~ but it _was_ me… couldn’t you smell it? I’ve been trying to get you to realize… and I do know for a near-fact that this isn’t you either. This is the result of conditioning.

KOSCHEI:

~looks up at the Doctor with wide, innocent eyes~ I’m new, I’m better than I was before, master. I was ordered to forget who I was before so I did. I never thought of it again. ~looks distressed~ are you unhappy?

DOCTOR:

Am I unhappy? Well let’s see, I travel alone after Gallifrey burnt to a crisp, but I found I wasn’t alone! There’s another Timelord! We make a life together but oh, we’re stuck in a bloody scientific torture facility! We get through rough times, loom a child, but we’re still stuck. Now I’m forced through dreams and you can’t even remember any of that, in fact, _you’re_ calling _me_ master!

KOSCHEI:

~bursts into tears, speaking between sobs~ I-I’m s-sor-ry d-d-Doctor…! ~holds his hands over his face, trying to gasp in breaths between his shudders~

DOCTOR:

~his expression immediately softens~ H-hey… don’t cry… ~gently brings his hand to the side of the Master’s head~ it’s not your fault, I just-… I’ve been having a rough time lately, but you didn’t cause it… I’m sorry I snapped at you.

KOSCHEI:

~quiets down, taking his hands away from his face and pulling the trench coat close around himself, sniffling as one more tear rolls down his cheek, his gaze on the floor as he walks~

DOCTOR:

~lets his hand drop to his side~ that wasn’t a-… never mind. ~gets to the medicine room, opening the door~ but wait… do you still hear drums?

KOSCHEI:

~follows the Doctor inside, his cheeks wet from crying~ I don’t hear any drumming…. ~seems mildly confused, but answers easily without mumbling~

DOCTOR:

~smiles a little, stopping and turning to gently wipe the tears from the Master’s face with his sleeve~ good.

KOSCHEI:

~smiles at the Doctor’s touch and more at his praise, speaking softly~ thank you-… Doctor.

DOCTOR:

No problem. ~lets his hand linger on the Master’s cheek a bit before going to get something for his scars, opening and rifling through a drawer of ointment-like medicines which seem to be from across different galaxies~

KOSCHEI:

~watches the Doctor briefly before taking the trench coat off of himself, and turning around to show the Doctor his scars~

DOCTOR:

~takes out one of the tubes after a moment, putting mildly opaque white cream on his hand to use~ sorry if it stings a little because I do have to touch them to do this… ~starts to carefully apply the medicine~

KOSCHEI:

~murmurs~ it’s fine, master… ~flinches slightly, then relaxes, holding the balled-up trench coat close to himself and closing his eyes as the Doctor treats his wounds~

DOCTOR:

~continues the treatment while speaking~ I’d… appreciate it if you stopped calling me master, though… that’s the chosen name of a different man I know very well.

KOSCHEI:

~nods, though he seems a little saddened by the request~ I shall never utter the word again. ~holds the coat tightly, his tension the only giveaway that he’s in pain~

DOCTOR:

~speaks only after he’s gotten to all the injuries he can see~ did I miss any? They should feel much better in a minute or so…

KOSCHEI:

Thank you, ~leaves his answer feeling unfinished, turning to face him and getting onto his knees as he bends down to start licking the dirt off of the Doctor’s shoes~

DOCTOR:

~looks a mixture of surprised and disturbed~ Uh… why are you—no, you don’t have to answer that, but get up… please.

KOSCHEI:

~sits up and hangs his head~ I’m sorry. ~looks up as he comes to his feet, meeting the Doctor’s gaze hopefully~ would you like me to express my gratitude some other way? ~his hands drift down toward the Doctor’s groin, gently groping him~

DOCTOR:

~his face goes red and he goes to tell Koschei he doesn’t have to express his gratitude like that, but the words die on his tongue the second he meets the Master’s hopeful gaze~ oh, alright…

KOSCHEI:

~happily slips his hands under the Doctor’s trousers after unzipping them, his hands working at the Doctor’s length as he gives the Doctor’s neck small, chaste kisses~

DOCTOR:

~a small noise escapes his throat despite his efforts, trying harder than he normally would with the Master to contain himself as he feels a certain level of guilt for enjoying this~

KOSCHEI:

~drifts back down onto his knees, taking the Doctor’s length in his mouth and expertly maneuvering his tongue to stimulate all of the Doctor’s sensitive spots as his hands massage the Doctor’s thighs~

DOCTOR:

~moans, losing whatever composure he previously held as the Master utterly scatters any organized thought he may have had, panting a bit~

KOSCHEI:

~pushes himself forward to take in the Doctor’s whole length with no trouble at all as if he’s used to it, sucking at him like trying to drink from a bottle~

DOCTOR:

~shudders, coming close and bringing a hand through the Master’s hair gently but unsteadily, breathing heavily~

KOSCHEI:

~nods his head in a somewhat circular motion, eagerly awaiting the Doctor’s release as he swallows more insistently~

DOCTOR:

~says a quick, slurred warning that’s not really coherent before coming to with a deep groan, his back arching~

KOSCHEI:

~doesn’t seem to need the warning, swallowing all of it and lapping up the residue on the Doctor’s length hungrily, spit and come dribbling from his mouth though he doesn’t lick it away despite how simple it would be to do so. Catches his breath, looking up at the Doctor in hope of praise~

DOCTOR:

~takes a moment to recover himself, seeing the Master’s expression and patting his head slightly~ yes, good job, nice, thank you.

KOSCHEI:

~stretches up into the Doctor’s hand happily, responding~ anything to please you, Doctor. ~seems to simply be using the Doctor’s name as a replacement for “master”, the tone of reverence still there~

DOCTOR:

~zips up his pants, putting them back on properly, smiling~ alright, are your wounds feeling better? I don’t want to have anything rubbing against them if the medicine hasn’t taken full effect.

KOSCHEI:

~glances behind him at his scars as if he had forgotten about them~ oh—yes, they’re feeling much better now. ~casually ignoring his own arousal~

DOCTOR:

Alright then, get up. ~waits until the Master’s up to speak again~ and what about you? ~brushes his fingers against the Master’s length to make it clear what he’s talking about~

KOSCHEI:

~blushes slightly, lowering his gaze~ y-you don’t have to- ~leans forward slightly despite himself~

DOCTOR:

~smirks slightly~ oh I know, but I _want_ to. ~wraps his hand around the Master’s length, stroking him slowly at first~ leaving it be now would just be cruel.

KOSCHEI:

~shudders, resting his hands gently on the Doctor’s chest as he exhales heavily~ th-thank you, Doctor…

DOCTOR:

My pleasure, Koschei. ~speeds up gradually, so it’s not immediately noticeable, bringing his other hand to Koschei’s length as well~

KOSCHEI:

~leans forward into the Doctor, panting and whimpering occasionally, murmuring thanks when he can and faintly gripping the Doctor’s suit jacket~

DOCTOR:

~continues his steadily gradual acceleration, softly kissing at the Master’s neck~

KOSCHEI:

~closes his eyes and moans without restraint, beginning to squirm slightly in discomfort as he holds back his orgasm in order to wait for the Doctor’s permission, panting heavily~ m—Doctor, please—can…

DOCTOR:

~picks up on what Koschei wants, moving slightly so he doesn’t come on him~ of course.

KOSCHEI:

~cries out as he reaches climax, relaxing but forcing himself to remain standing for the time being, looking over at the Doctor as he catches his breath to make sure if the Doctor wants him to do anything else before he makes assumptions again~

DOCTOR:

~looks thoughtful, smiling over at the Master, noticing his expression and guessing what Koschei thinks he had to do next, trying to casually avoid it by saying~ alright, let’s get you dressed…

KOSCHEI:

~nods, glancing at his mess~ alright… ~looks back at the Doctor, seeming uncomfortable by just leaving the issue be~ should I clean up… Doctor?

DOCTOR:

I thought you might ask that… no, it’s alright, I’ll clean it up later. ~goes to hand the Master the stack of clothes, consisting of a plan blue cotton T-shirt, light blue hoodie, and sweatpants that seem like they should fit Koschei~

KOSCHEI:

~takes the clothes happily~ thank you m- ~catches himself again, his shoulders going slack with defeat~ Doctor. ~takes the sweatpants, fumbling his way into them with a level of unfamiliarity~

DOCTOR:

You’re welcome. ~stifles a chuckle when he sees Koschei struggling~ do you need help?

KOSCHEI:

I—yes, please. ~pulls his chain out from underneath the sweatpants, which had gotten caught inside when he was pulling them on~

DOCTOR:

Oh, also, that reminds me… ~goes to help Koschei into his shirt~ I recognize you get a sort of comfort from being led by that chain, but what would you say to a more comfortable alternative if I had one?

KOSCHEI:

~lets the Doctor help with the shirt, adjusting it to be under his metal collar before pulling his chain out again and looking at it thoughtfully~ you can remove the chain if you think it’s bothersome…

DOCTOR:

I personally don’t care whether or not you wear the chain, and I’m fine with holding it, I suppose the question is whether or not you want a more comfortable equivalent as a metal collar doesn’t seem at all comfortable.

KOSCHEI:

~brings his hand up to feel along the curve of the metal, his gaze flicking to the ground in thought~ I’m used to it… but… I suppose it would be nice to have something lighter.

DOCTOR:

Because I did manage to find this… ~takes out a very familiar collar and leash from his pocket, setting it on the table~ it’s your choice, though.

KOSCHEI:

~walks over and feels over the well-worn collar, picking it up briefly before setting it back down~ I… ~looks up at the Doctor uncertainly~

DOCTOR:

~meets Koschei’s gaze reassuringly~ I won’t be upset either way.

KOSCHEI:

~looks back at his decision with less nervousness, speaking after a brief moment~ if it’s possible to get this one off… ~rests his hand on the metal around his neck~ I would like something more comfortable.

DOCTOR:

Alright… ~looks over the metal collar for a way to get it off~ nothing’s _impossible._

KOSCHEI:

~lifts his chin so the Doctor can see the collar better—it seems to be a solid ring of metal, like it was molded to fit Koschei’s neck specifically without ever having been taken off~

DOCTOR:

Wow—I’d be impressed were this not used for cruelty. I’ll have to break it somehow; obviously without the use of heat… how to do it without hurting you or the TARDIS… a chemical, maybe?

KOSCHEI:

~lowers his gaze as the Doctor lays out the situation, murmuring sadly but clearly~ if it’s too much trouble…

DOCTOR:

Nonsense, I like a challenge, and it’s not like I have something else I need to do.

KOSCHEI:

Are you sure…? ~feels around his collar like it’s in the way of an itch~ it’d be easier to just leave it as it is… ~drops his hands, holding one elbow nervously~ it’s not necessary that I be comfortable.

DOCTOR:

But it’s important to me. ~thinks for a short moment before decidedly pocketing his collar and leash, going to pick up the hoodie~ why don’t we take that walk first, and when we get back maybe I’ll have a solution in mind we can implement.

KOSCHEI:

~having forgotten about the walk, looks up~ oh; yes… let’s. ~starts to shuffle after the Doctor, looking down at his feet and trying to curl his toes underneath the edge of his sweatpants~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master, confused but ignoring it for the time being as he goes to help the Master put the hoodie on and pull the chain out~

KOSCHEI:

~looks at the hoodie in confusion, messing with the hood and putting his arm through the front pocket, wiggling his fingers in amusement~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles lightly, finding Koschei’s response to human clothing adorable. Goes to put his trench coat back on, seeming a little on edge~

KOSCHEI:

~puts both hands in the pocket, looking up at the Doctor curiously and waiting to follow him out. Notices his expression, asking hesitantly~ is something wrong?

DOCTOR:

~almost jumps when the Master speaks, relaxing and going to take the end of the chain, hesitant to answer~ I… haven’t said anything for a little bit…

KOSCHEI:

~blinks, suddenly seeming worried that he’s missed something~ yes…?

DOCTOR:

~sighs~ I used to have a Master; and that was his chosen name. The Master, he’d get upset if I didn’t talk for long. It was a rule I knew well. ~starts towards the door~

KOSCHEI:

~follows closely, seeming uncomfortable prying into the Doctor’s past though he can’t help his curiosity~ you said… you had a convoluted reason for buying me…

DOCTOR:

~goes out and down the hallway~ there were two—well I guess three, the simpler of them being my empathy and wanting to have another Timelord around. I’ll tell you the third if you want, but it sounds insane.

KOSCHEI:

~caught off-guard by the decision once more, takes a moment to respond~ alright… if you think I should know.

DOCTOR:

Alright; this is all a dream. I’m in a scientific facility and you are the variable factor. You _are_ the Master. The Master, formerly known as Koschei Oakdown, was my best friend at the Academy. He went insane, and we drifted apart… until after the Time War. He hated me until we needed each other to survive the tests in Aperture Science laboratories, but the drums, the source of his insanity, made him a sadistic, power-hungry, dangerous man…

KOSCHEI:

W-what? ~asks in disbelief, his step faltering~ Doctor, how can that-…

DOCTOR:

I told you I’d sound insane. Don’t worry, though, I don’t blame you for the things he did. Besides, I loved the man, I was going to end up forgiving him anyway.

KOSCHEI:

~turns his head away slightly in distress and closes his eyes, his chain jingling with the action~

DOCTOR:

~looks back at Koschei, concerned~ something wrong? ~thinking through everything that could be wrong~

KOSCHEI:

~opens his eyes slightly, though he doesn’t meet the Doctor’s gaze~ I’m sorry I’m not the person you wanted me to be. ~speaks sadly, holding back tears~

DOCTOR:

Hey… ~stops, turning to the Koschei~ you may not be my Master, and of course I hoped you’d remember, but you’re a lot of good things the Master never was. I can trust you, you’re not going to hurt me purposefully, and I doubt you’d up and leave me.

KOSCHEI:

~stops with the Doctor, looking back at him hesitantly~ of course… I will be loyal to you always. ~glances briefly over at the console room and the main doors~

DOCTOR:

Yes, and that’s a virtue the Master never had. You asked why I got you out, so I answered, I knew the second I saw you in that cell you’d be different. ~walks into the console room towards the doors~

KOSCHEI:

~follows closely, quiet and made uneasy by how wrong it feels to have the Doctor playing off of his request, rather than the other way around~

DOCTOR:

~speaks knowingly~ like I said, you look and sound like a man who’d give merciless discipline if I didn’t answer.

KOSCHEI:

~lowers his gaze as they make their way outside, despite wanting to look around and take in his beautiful surroundings~ I’m sorry…

DOCTOR:

It’s not your fault. I don’t mind answering your questions, either. ~looks around himself now that they’re outside, closing the TARDIS doors~

KOSCHEI:

~lifts his head after a moment to look around briefly, following the Doctor wherever he chooses to go and remaining in distressed silence~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, not about to order Koschei to perk up but instead asking~ Koschei, I’ve been trying to give you control over your life as a person, but would you be more comfortable if I didn’t? You’d still be allowed to ask for things, of course.

KOSCHEI:

~having actually been about to try to address that, looks up at the Doctor with something like relief~ y-yes… very much so.

DOCTOR:

Alright then… I can understand that. I’ll still end up asking you some things, but as of now I’ll consider you 100% mine. ~is surprised by how much he likes the way that sounds, pushing the thought to the back of his mind~

KOSCHEI:

~smiles happily, walking a little closer~ thank you, Doctor. All I want is to be yours.

DOCTOR:

~smiles more genuinely than he has since this particular dream started, looking around and walking in no one particular direction~

KOSCHEI:

~now that he feels considerably more comfortable, looks around to fully appreciate the environment~ this is beautiful.

DOCTOR:

Yeah… there are quite a few averagely-sized habitable planets in this area. But this… this is the closest thing to home I could find.

KOSCHEI:

~smiles with bittersweet nostalgia~ Gallifrey was destroyed… ~glances over at the Doctor for confirmation~ right?

DOCTOR:

~his smile fades a bit at that, answering in a more solemn tone~ Yes. Along with everyone on it.

KOSCHEI:

~his gaze flicks downward~ oh. ~continues to walk, not sure what the purpose of the activity is~

DOCTOR:

~starts to meander back in the general direction of the TARDIS, wondering if Koschei knows what he did to end the Time War~


	19. Shocking Experiences & A Family Reunion

KOSCHEI:

~after a moment of hesitant silence, he decidedly speaks up~ Doctor? ~wanting to know if it’s a good time to ask a question~

DOCTOR:

~glances over at the other Timelord curiously~ yes, Koschei?

KOSCHEI:

I… ~hesitates in confusion, then seeming to remember~ Doctor… what exactly is my purpose? ~asks uneasily~

DOCTOR:

Your purpose? ~thinks for a moment~ I suppose, if I’m to give you a purpose, it’s that of my companion… though I care much more for you as you are irreplaceable, in all basic-ness, I’d go insane if I travelled alone for long, and going on adventures without anyone else I’m accountable for makes me risk things enough that I’m a danger to everyone.

KOSCHEI:

~relaxes slightly, looking up at the TARDIS as they approach it~ alright… ~glances briefly at the Doctor, his voice coming softly~ it pleases you to own me, does it not?

DOCTOR:

~responds in a tone just short of flirtatious~ Indeed it does; very much. ~opens the door to step into the console room~

KOSCHEI:

~blushes shyly, stepping in after the Doctor and awaiting orders with a returned eagerness~

DOCTOR:

~closes the door behind them, a small bounce in his step~ alright, where to go, what to do… oh! Your collar, I said we’d deal with that when we get back. _Then_ we can go to—well, anywhere.

KOSCHEI:

~nods, smiling at the Doctor’s enthusiasm~ yes… did you come up with something?

DOCTOR:

Nothing used to break metal is a precision instrument—nothing I want to put that close to your neck, anyway, but a controlled chemical reaction that melts the metal it comes in contact with should work as long as I can keep it from actually touching your skin.

KOSCHEI:

~seems nervous~ alright… ~messes with his hands in the pocket of his hoodie, ready to follow the Doctor wherever he plans to find this chemical~

DOCTOR:

If I didn’t think I could do this without hurting you I wouldn’t try… ~takes another look at the collar to see what room there is between it and Koschei’s neck before starting towards the hallway~

KOSCHEI:

~there’s a little bit of space to allow Koschei room to breathe, but it’s too small for a finger to fit between~ I trust you.

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the comment~ I’m glad. ~seems to get lost in thought after that, absently turning right into the hall~

KOSCHEI:

~follows the Doctor quietly, seeming content with his situation~

DOCTOR:

~mutters almost too quietly to be heard, sounding almost scared~ A role-swap? What are you trying to do…?

KOSCHEI:

~notices the fear in the Doctor’s voice but not exactly what he said, looking concerned~ Doctor… is something wrong?

MENTAL:

~as he speaks, the drums suddenly open up in the Doctor’s mind~

DOCTOR:

~stops suddenly, his eyes widening, still speaking quietly~ no… not now, I’m walking a fine moral line as is, stop…

KOSCHEI:

~looks panicked, stopping~ Doctor?

MENTAL:

~the drums persist, ignoring the Doctor’s plea~

DOCTOR:

O-okay, we’ll just have to deal with this, I suppose… ~looks over at Koschei, swallowing back his fear~ alright, Ma—Koschei, remember what I said about the Master going insane?

KOSCHEI:

~begins to dread whatever the Doctor’s going to tell him~ yes, I remember.

DOCTOR:

It was caused by this drumming that was specifically designed and planted in his head. The head of that scientific facility I told you about has access to it… She’s put it in my head.

KOSCHEI:

~shifts his weight uneasily, looking at the floor and not knowing how he’s supposed to respond to that~

DOCTOR:

Which leaves you with two options… ~looks more sad than scared now~ you can either live alone but free and probably safer than you are here—I’d fly somewhere inhabited for you, of course… or you can stay.

KOSCHEI:

~protests in heightened distress~ how could I leave? Doctor, I’m bound to you. ~pleading now~ please, don’t make me leave.

DOCTOR:

~seems relieved but simultaneously worried, smiling faintly and bringing a hand to Koschei’s cheek~ I’d much rather have you around but I couldn’t give you no choice when I know I’m a danger to you now.

KOSCHEI:

~closes his eyes and relaxes, leaning faintly into the Doctor’s hand before opening them again to respond solemnly~ I’m used to it. I’ll be fine.

DOCTOR:

Alright… I’ll try to fight it; I don’t want to hurt you… ~lets his hand drop to his side, sighing and continuing down the hall past the med room~ I know how to handle it a bit by now, the Master taught me a couple of tricks.

KOSCHEI:

~follows as closely as he can without interrupting the Doctor’s stride, saddened by how defeated the Doctor seems~ I’m here to help if I can.

DOCTOR:

I’m counting on it; distraction is important when it comes to the drums. ~turns to the right down a hall~

KOSCHEI:

~nods~ I understand. ~looks ahead curiously for any hint as to where they’re going~

DOCTOR:

~turns to the sixth floor on their left, opening it~

ENVIRONMENT:

~inside is a small room with drawers made up of varying materials in the walls and a small round table that holds a few random papers and books in the middle of the room~

KOSCHEI:

~walks into the room, looking around curiously but still following the Doctor close at his side~

DOCTOR:

~looks around for a specific drawer, dropping the chain to go search through a few~ you may look around, if you wish, just don’t go through the marble drawer.

KOSCHEI:

~hesitates before wandering to the table in the middle~ yes… Doctor. ~peers at the papers to see what they’re for~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the papers seem like old designs for a tool of some sort~

DOCTOR:

~takes some other-worldly cloth and a small bag of some white substance that looks somewhere between sugar and salt out of one, getting an ordinary water bottle from a different drawer~

KOSCHEI:

~briefly sifts through the papers, turning to look at what the Doctor’s doing with a certain level of anxiety~

DOCTOR:

~walks over, setting the ‘cloth’ on the table, putting a small bit of the white powder onto it and adding a little water, hoping the reaction won’t go through the cloth as he chose the material specifically to contain the reaction, this being a test run~

KOSCHEI:

~stands back and watches as the substance fizzes violently, but doesn’t ruin the cloth, seeming intrigued~

DOCTOR:

~waits patiently for a moment for the reaction to finish, touching the result with his pinkie finger to see if it’s potentially dangerous~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the substance that gets on the Doctor’s finger stings horribly, turning it red~

KOSCHEI:

~takes a step forward in concern~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his hand off, cursing then going to get a glass container from a drawer to carefully pour the substance in~

KOSCHEI:

~watches the Doctor worriedly~ are you okay?

DOCTOR:

~sets the container on the table~ I’ll be fine, I’ve lived with worse. It was easier than it would’ve been to try and calculate whether or not the chemical’s dangerous. ~goes and opens a deep drawer which happens to be a sink, washing his hands and the cloth thoroughly~

KOSCHEI:

~stays put, watching the Doctor clean away the chemical in the drawer-sink, wondering what was in the marble drawer that the Doctor didn’t want him to see~

DOCTOR:

~pushes the drawer closed, wiping his hands off and swapping the cloth with a dry one—because the reaction’s caused by water~ alright, so that should melt the metal. And I intend to use this to keep it off of your neck.

KOSCHEI:

~looks between the cloth and the substance the Doctor put in the glass container, slightly nervous~ okay. Whenever you’re ready.

DOCTOR:

~picks up the container, sliding the cloth between the collar and Koschei’s neck, cupping his hand under it so the chemical will harmlessly pool at the bottom, adding a bit more water and white powder to the substance before carefully pouring some onto the metal~

KOSCHEI:

~the collar gives a strong electric shock when the chemical starts to corrode the metal, and he yelps in pain, trying not to flinch as he doesn’t want to spill the chemical; it burns through the center of the collar, and cuts off the circuit~

DOCTOR:

~curses in various languages before sticking to Gallifreyan~ {it’s electric!? Why didn’t you tell me it’s electric!?} ~unable to do anything he isn’t already doing at the moment as he really doesn’t want to let the chemical go~

KOSCHEI:

{I-I didn’t know!} ~responds quickly, panicked; the chemical burns through the collar up to the cloth, starting to eat away at the rest of the metal as the collar reacts by shocking the Master again~

DOCTOR:

~sets the glass container aside to grab his sonic to try to stop the collar from electrocuting Koschei more while holding the cloth with his other hand~

KOSCHEI:

~whines in pain, relaxing when the sonic stops the collar from shocking him and shakily trying to pry it off of his neck~

DOCTOR:

God… I should’ve scanned it first, I’m so sorry. ~looks over the collar to see if it should be removable by now, figuring the Master won’t hurt himself while trying to get it off, mumbling to himself~ bloody test…

KOSCHEI:

~yanks the collar off of his neck and drops it to the floor with a clatter, shaking from the electricity~ I’m fine…

DOCTOR:

~goes to carefully pour the substance into the container~ I shouldn’t have just trusted my eyes… you should be fine in a matter of time; how much time depending on how much electricity She put through you. Still… sorry.

KOSCHEI:

~sinks down onto his knees so not as to disrupt anything on the table by leaning on it, shaking as he picks up the now C-shaped collar and looks it over, this change feeling incredibly strange to him~

DOCTOR:

~puts the cloth and container into a drawer~ well… besides the fact that you’ve been electrocuted, how’s not having a hunk of metal on your neck?

KOSCHEI:

~sets the collar back down and brings his hands up to wrap around his own neck experimentally, speaking in distress~ I feel like I’ve broken the rules. Or my—owner’s abandoned me. ~speaks honestly, like the question was an order~

DOCTOR:

~makes sure no chemical’s on him before walking up to Koschei, smiling a little. Takes a knee, reaching into his pocket to take out his old collar and fondly put it on Koschei~

KOSCHEI:

~looks up at the Doctor, smiling after a moment and reaching up to feel the different collar, turning his head slightly to get a sense of how it shifts~

DOCTOR:

Better? ~sits on the floor with an innocently hopeful expression~

KOSCHEI:

~smiles and nods back at the Doctor gratefully~ much. Thank you.

DOCTOR:

~smiles happily, getting up to his feet~ great! So, what should we do where and when…? ~sounds like he’s asking himself more than anyone else~

KOSHCEI:

~gets up slowly, suddenly becoming panicked and latching onto the Doctor~ Doctor-! No, no… I-I can’t… ~buries his face in the Doctor’s arm desperately~

DOCTOR:

Hm? Shh… it’s okay… ~brings the arm Koschei’s not burying his face in up, gently stroking the other Timelord’s hair, confused~ you don’t have to answer the question if that’s what this is about, I was only thinking aloud.

KOSCHEI:

We’re not—this isn’t- ~the panic rises in his voice~

ENVIRONMENT:

~suddenly there’s an agonized shriek that startles the Doctor into the waking world again~

DOCTOR:

What was that? ~checks if he can hear the drums even faintly, wondering if all that was necessary to wake him up through he knows the answer’s no unless it was the Master’s doing~

MENTAL:

~the drums are still there~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor’s pod cracks open with a hiss as his restraints detach; more gentle sounds of pain come from the Doctor’s left, not muffled anymore~

DOCTOR:

~gest out of the pod to go to the Master’s~ Kosch—er—Master? ~finding some comfort in being able to use the Master’s chosen name again~

MASTER:

~his pod is open too, and he lies curled up and shaking, hands over his face. Blood slowly drips out from between his fingers~

DOCTOR:

~looks tiredly concerned, gently setting a hand on the Master’s shoulder, knowing he lacks the power to help much in this reality~

MASTER:

~takes his hands away from his face, looking at the blood on his palms from the horizontal cuts across his face, inferably because of the sharp things that had been keeping his head in place, which are also dripping with blood~ Doctor… ~speaks hoarsely~

DOCTOR:

Master? ~makes sure the drums are closed off from the Master, not able to think of anything he can do to really help the situation~

MENTAL:

~the link is still disconnected~

MASTER:

~carefully sits up and wipes his hand off on the floor of the pod, wearily reaching up and gesturing for the Doctor to come closer so they can reestablish the link~

DOCTOR:

~carefully moves to touch foreheads with the Master and reestablish the link, cautious of the Master’s injuries~

MASTER:

~gets a trace amount of blood on the Doctor’s cheeks with his hands as they put the link back in place, moving away in surprise when the door opens and startles him~

MAN:

~a man in a labcoat stands by the door to the room, holding two orange jumpsuits over one arm~

DOCTOR:

Hello… ~sounds like he’s trying to be friendly and sociable when he really just looks defeated before he remembers something, urgently asking~ where’s Alia?

MAN:

~comes over and hands the Doctor and the Master their respective jumpsuits before taking out an electronic clipboard of sorts, reading it over and replying~ Alia is in test chamber 56 of 103 in testing course 1.

DOCTOR:

Alright… ~puts the jumpsuit on, almost asking the Master if he needs help but remembering what reality he’s in~

MASTER:

~mindlessly slips into the jumpsuit, speaking~ who… oh. ~seems to remember and disregard the question, getting up and almost losing his balance~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master with forced concern, walking to his side~ so, where are we going?

MAN:

~takes another look at his clipboard before putting it away and gesturing for them to follow~ testing course 42.

MASTER:

~his mind seems jumbled and confused at the moment~

DOCTOR:

~easily follows the man, taking the Master’s hand to be sure he’s following too~

MASTER:

~stumbles along, disoriented for a moment, then walking normally~

MAN:

~leads them out onto a catwalk that winds around and branches off to different areas~

DOCTOR:

~mentally tries to reorient the Master~ so… how much of all that can you remember? The dreams, I mean.

MASTER:

~pauses in thought as the Doctor helps him situate his memories, replying in confusion~ there was only one dream… I thought.

DOCTOR:

~responds with a slight shortage of patience~ alright, well, what do you remember of that dream?

MASTER:

Sorry. ~responds initially because of the Doctor’s impatience, then trying to comprehend his conflicting memories~ you saved me from a slave trade ship. They’re overlapping… ~furrows his eyebrows in confusion~

DOCTOR:

I remember bits and pieces of them all—but I do remember most of the most recent one with the slave trade ship. I wouldn’t call it “saving” you either, all I did was pay that Neuji guy for you.

MASTER:

Wasn’t I kidnaped a few months ago… then you came to… no, we were in Aperture… ~shakes his head in frustration~

DOCTOR:

It’s all of those fake memories… I can try to weed them out, if you want.

MASTER:

~as he continues to think back over the memories, they fall into place and start to embed themselves into the Master’s mind more securely~ no, no it’s fine. I’ve got it all figured out. ~shakes his head to wave off the Doctor’s help~

DOCTOR:

Alright… ~meanders slightly in his step, trying to consistently occupy his mind with something~

MAN:

~they’re brought up a flight of stairs and to a room with two separate elevators, and the man pauses to look back at them~ each of you head to an elevator, please.

DOCTOR:

~lets go of the Master’s hand and heads into the elevator on their left, glancing at the Master, worried by the separation~

MASTER:

~heads to the other elevator, and the doors close behind them. Looks over at the Doctor longingly~

MAN:

~nods, and the elevators head downward~

DOCTOR:

~sits on the elevator floor, wondering where he’s going potentially alone~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator slides to a stop in a small room with a table and a chair, and no other decorations except for another caged camera~

DOCTOR:

Your camera-based safety measures amuse me. ~walks out, sitting on the chair as there’s nothing better to do~

GLaDOS:

*How so?*

ENVIRONMENT:

~a panel to the Doctor’s right opens slightly; and a mechanical arm reaches out to place a sphere made of a strange, sponge-like substance on the table~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the sphere, curious but not touching it~ clearly enough people have broken them either to escape or out of spite that you actually found it beneficial to add those despite the fact that it should make your job more difficult to have those bars in the way.

GLaDOS:

*Funny you would assume that. No; only you are that pointlessly cruel to inanimate objects. Hence the reason why I only add the bars in rooms where you are going to be.*

DOCTOR:

It’s not like the inanimate objects care, and I don’t care that you care. Honestly, it’s you who I hate enough to make me want to cause a pointless amount of damage—well, that and the drums now.

GLaDOS:

*Enough dawdling; now eat.*

DOCTOR:

And why would I eat something you gave me—especially considering it doesn’t look like food?

GLaDOS:

*If you’d rather I’m more than willing to give you something that will enrich your life, in a negative fashion.*

DOCTOR:

~rolls his eyes but goes to consume the spongy sphere~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the thing tastes strange, but seems edible enough; the arm moves back under its panel and the panel snaps back into place~

DOCTOR:

~eats the thing less hesitantly once he’s reminded of his own hunger~

GLaDOS:

~seems satisfied once the Doctor finishes~ *Good. Now, please step into the scanner.*

ENVIRONMENT:

~a glass cylinder comes down from the ceiling in an empty corner of the room, a door opening to allow entry~

DOCTOR:

~stands up and goes into the cylindrical scanner compliantly, not seeing any reason to object~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the glass seals behind the Doctor and a small blue light travels up and down the cylinder before moving back up into the ceiling~

GLaDOS:

*Good. Have a reward for making my life easier.* ~her voice is taunting~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator opens up again~

DOCTOR:

~seems a bit miffed by the comment as he goes into the elevator, not objecting as a reward’s a reward no matter how degradingly presented—though he doesn’t honestly expect anything good~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator descends to another room, less cramped, with a few benches, makeshift panel-tables and cube chutes~

MASTER:

~sits on one of the benches, the cuts on his face now bandaged, staring at the ceiling placidly~

DOCTOR:

~steps into the room cautiously, wary of his surroundings. Smiles a little as he looks over at the Master~ hello, I’m back!

MASTER:

~snaps back to reality, indifferently looking over at the Doctor~ you seem chipper.

DOCTOR:

~shrugs, walking over to the Master~ not really, I was expecting some sort of trap, so this is nice by comparison. Could still be a trap, but I could technically still be sleeping as well, so…

MASTER:

~gently rests his chin on the back of his hand, staring at the floor and looking like he needs something to fumble with in his other hand, disappointed by the lack of a doodad~ that’s nice.

DOCTOR:

~sits down next to the Master, sighing, finding it unusually difficult to care about the state the Master’s in~ I see you got patched up…

MASTER:

Yeah, that was unusually thoughtful of Her. ~gently feels over his bandages, seeming to suddenly remember something as his hands come up to his neck~

DOCTOR:

~looks confused by the Master’s actions~ she’s let me get treatment before… though I think that’s because my rib was in multiple pieces.

MASTER:

~puts his hands in his lap, looking over at the Doctor and the fact that he’s wearing the collar with something like confused jealousy~ and then there was that strange food…

DOCTOR:

The spherical thing? And then the scan, as if that sponge of food was supposed to change something… ~furrows his eyebrows slightly, having a little trouble focusing enough to think through it all~

MASER:

~twiddles his thumbs, now confusing himself by how much attention he’s giving the Doctor’s collar~ I know as much as you do…

DOCTOR:

~smirks at the Master’s reaction to the collar, then seems to realize what he’s doing, looking to the floor~ right…

MASTER:

~perks up hopefully at the Doctor’s comment~ yes?

DOCTOR:

~is confused by the Master’s reaction~ I… was just acknowledging your statement. I suppose there has to have been something of importance in that so-called food, but it’s not like I could scan it.

MASTER:

But… ~rests his chin in his hands and sighs, forcing his eyes onto the floor as he gives up on trying to get the Doctor to notice~

DOCTOR:

But what? ~forces interest and concern into his expression, looking over at the Master~

MASTER:

~answers easily as if he has no choice~ you seem to be wearing the collar that you gave to me. ~keeps his gaze on the ground~

DOCTOR:

~smirks, thoroughly amused~ it also happens to be the collar you gave to me, _Master._

MASTER:

I realize that. ~feels across a seam between floor panels with his toe, seeming somewhat flustered by the Doctor’s response~

DOCTOR:

If you want it back, you can take it, though I don’t see why you’d need _my_ permission. You seem to forget that I’m next to incapable of undoing a buckle I cannot see.

MASTER:

Sorry, I’m… I have to obey your will if no one else’s, I wasn’t sure if you were alright with it or not. ~seems hesitant, reaching over to carefully unbuckle the collar~

DOCTOR:

~his smirk fades to a more blank expression though mentally it’s clear that he’s horribly confused, as his memories are still altered to make him a bit more like the Master, but also more obedient to the Master, and then there are, of course, the drums~

MASTER:

~removes the collar, hesitantly pausing to ask~ are you alright? ~worried the Doctor might object, simply holding the unlatched collar~

DOCTOR:

I’m fine, you can put the collar on if you want… it’s not the problem. ~forces a reassuring smile~

MASTER:

~smiles slightly and puts the collar around his neck, happily playing with the ring thing in the front where the leash is supposed to attach~

DOCTOR:

~looks down at the floor, trying to get himself into at least a single mindset so he can think properly, though he is glad he made the Master happy~

MASTER:

~moves himself closer to the Doctor, bringing his arms around him gently and resting his head on the Doctor’s shoulder. Finds himself subconsciously trying to lean the Doctor’s mindset towards the more dominant side~

DOCTOR:

~smiles though he can feel what the Master’s doing, which causes his loyally submissive side to sway in favor of the other as well, leaving the bit of him that just wants to be ‘the Doctor’ overpowered~ alright then…

MASTER:

~relaxes considerably, letting go of the Doctor and lying down on his side to rest his head in the Doctor’s lap, smiling happily and closing his eyes~

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand to gently stroke the Master’s hair, contented for now as he looks down at his Master—100% his…~

MASTER:

~affirms the Doctor’s thought wholeheartedly, resting a hand on the Doctor’s knee as he tries to keep himself from drifting off, completely comfortable with his current position~

DOCTOR:

~smiles warmly, assuring the Master that he’ll wake him up if he happens to drift off to sleep~

MASTER:

~sighs and lies there contentedly for a while, inevitably drifting off into a light, peaceful sleep~

DOCTOR:

~despite his word, lets the Master sleep for a bit, thinking about what GLaDOS said about this being his treat for compliance~

MASTER:

~meanwhile he sinks into a sounder sleep~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a while later one of the cube chutes ejects a companion cube and a few pieces of flotsam—a broken disk and a round metal object~

DOCTOR:

Master… ~taps the other Timelord’s shoulder in a subconscious beat of four~ we have items.

MASTER:

~stirs and sits up carefully, blinking a few times and looking over at the cube and the seemingly unnecessary items~ okay… any idea what they’re for?

DOCTOR:

~looks at the stuff thoughtfully~ no clue. But She seems to be doing a lot of seemingly unnecessary things lately and I’m not about to disregard them.

MASTER:

~gets up and crouches down by the cube, tilting an ear toward it as if it’s whispering to him before contentedly resting his head on top of it, happily wrapping his arms around it and relaxing. Seems a bit too cheerful, if not simply drunk~

DOCTOR:

~moves over to the Master and the cube as well, grinning happily as he looks over the round metal object, tossing it up slightly and catching it carelessly~

GLaDOS:

*Do you know how foolish the both of you look? Hm, probably not; I bet you’ve gone nose-blind to it by now.*

MASTER:

~continues to hug the companion cube, looking upward defensively~

DOCTOR:

~rambles off-topic with his response~ Oh, go mute yourself, GLaDOS. You don’t even _have_ a respiratory system—you deleted any memory of it, too! So really, you’re a human-based AI that forgot how to be human!

GLaDOS:

*Interesting that you would say that. Of course I remember being human, every cent of the dollar.* ~now GLaDOS herself is starting to sound strange~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room spins dizzyingly~

DOCTOR:

Well fuuuuck you! ~stumbles, falling back onto the bench~ woah… reminds me of that time I tried acid… except less… techno-color-y…

MASTER:

~whines complainingly from where he sits hugging his cube~ maaaaaster… the cube’s threatening to staaab meee…

DOCTOR:

Well, threeatenn to stab it back! …you have that—that- ~snaps his fingers, trying to remember but giving up~ the thing, righ’?

MASTER:

~looks down at the cube, growling warningly~ I’ll stab you if you st…ab me! So _watch_ out! ~picks up the cube and holds it over his head, looking at the Doctor with wide innocent eyes, not knowing what the Doctor’s trying to get at~

DOCTOR:

~waves the silent inquiry off~ forget about it… I’m sure the cube won’t mess with you now anyway!

MASTER:

~grins~ yeah! ~swings it back over his head triumphantly, but forgets to let go and the weight sends him to the ground~

DOCTOR:

You know, it’s weird, the drummening was supposed to turn you into a soldierer… But _I_ became the soldier! And I _hate_ soldierens!

MASTER:

~sits up, leaving the cube~ does that mean Misterrs you hates _me?_ ~pouts, looking hurt~

DOCTOR:

Nah, you’re not a soldier, you left a year early! You don’ _act_ soldier-ly.

MASTER:

~blushes profusely, stretching himself out onto the floor in the Doctor’s direction and rolling over like a dog waiting for a stomach rub~ I-I’ll be your soldier… if you be my general… Doctor. I’ll do whatever… ~exhales heavily~ you say.

DOCTOR:

~gets up off of the bench, stumbling to his knees next to the Master, smiling~ I might not _mind_ being a general… with you as my soldier, that is. ~his smile fades~ well, as long ‘s you don’ leave me…

MASTER:

Of curse not?! ~goes a little Scottish for a second~ I’d never leave you, Master. ~pets the Doctor’s thigh chastely in reassurance~

DOCTOR:

~responds, upset and untrusting~ but thasss _your_ name, and you left me before!

MASTER:

~the tears start to flow again at the disapproval in the Doctor’s voice~ I’m sssorry I f-forgot Doctor please forgive me… ~rolls over towards the Doctor and over top of his knees, awkwardly trying to wrap himself around the Doctor’s legs~

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly~ allriight, just this _once,_ I forgive you. First infringement rules. ~pats the Master’s shoulder reassuringly~

MASTER:

~smiles slightly, reassured, but still concerned~ okay… ~sniffles~ is there something else I can call you… I want to show… I how important you are to me… Doctor…

DOCTOR:

~takes a moment to ponder this~ I dunno… people have called me lots of things… many bad things but plenty good things, too…

MASTER:

~rolls back over, wiping his face before speaking~ your highness… sir… my lord… owner… ~looks hopeful, trying to see if any of those appeal to the Doctor in his expression~

DOCTOR:

~seems more partial to “my lord” and “sir” than the other two though he doesn’t seem particularly fond of any of them, purposefully falling back onto his back~ sorry… you can call me by any name other than your own… I hope you understand I’m not used to this.

MASTER:

~panics and crawls up over the Doctor, looking down at him in concern~ Doctor-!? What’s going? ~clearly waiting to use a different name for the Doctor until he fully approves~

DOCTOR:

~explains as if oblivious to his physical position~ I don’t know what to tell you, Theta Sigma was my name until the Doctor became my chosen name. I don’t know what other title I’d want!

MASTER:

~relaxes and hangs his head in defeat~ Alright, I’m sorry... ~finds himself leaning down to lie on top of the Doctor, suddenly made weary by the effects of whatever they consumed~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t seem particularly concerned by anything, giving the Master a slight smile~ it’s fine; I’ll tell you if I do think of anything.

MASTER:

~relaxes against the Doctor’s chest, his eyes starting to drift closed tiredly as the effects of the depressant seem to get worse~ ok-kay…

DOCTOR:

~fights to keep himself awake, bringing his arms around the Master, speaking without thinking after a short moment~ I love you…

MASTER:

You too. ~responds quietly just before falling into a steady sleep, entirely relaxed against the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~drifts off despite his efforts in a matter of minutes, not finding his position uncomfortable though part of him’s glad he’s been made too tired to do much else in this screwed up mindset~

~•~

MASTER:

~when he wakes up he clumsily elbows the Doctor in the stomach while trying to get off of him, muttering apologies and sitting up beside the other Timelord, grimacing and rubbing his forehead~

DOCTOR:

~grumbles in foregiveness~ God, what the hell was that sponge…

MASTER:

~shakes his head~ I don’t even know… ~his hands drift to the collar around his neck, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion and he doesn’t seem to know whether to be happy or uncomfortable about its presence~

DOCTOR:

~notices the gesture, seeming to remember why he’s not the one wearing the collar~ agan, you control who wears the collar… I don’t really mind either way.

MASTER:

~gently brings his hands back down into his lap, lowering his gaze and staring at the ground blankly~

DOCTOR:

~sighs lightly, sitting up~ you alright? ~seeming a bit distracted but still concerned~

MASTER:

~blinks a few times~ yes… I think so. ~crawls slightly toward the Doctor, stopping suddenly when the leash for the collar falls out of the cube chute~

DOCTOR:

~instantly looks over, relaxing slightly when he sees it’s only the leash though he still seems a little wary of the chute~

MASTER:

~blushing slightly, continues to crawl to the Doctor’s side and leans over, softly speaking in his ear~ Doctor… ~brings a hand to the Doctor’s neck, feeling down to his chest affectionately~ let me help you.

DOCTOR:

~his eyes lose their focus on the chute and he replies easily~ okay… ~honestly finding it comforting to be able to blindly trust the Master to help once again~

MASTER:

~starts softly kissing the Doctor’s jaw, mentally drawing his attention to his senses and away from all of the other worrying aspects of their situation~

ENVIRONMENT:

~he’s interrupted rather abruptly as a screaming child tumbles out of the chute and onto the floor gracelessly~

DOCTOR:

~there’s a clear mental irritation from the interruption before he realizes what caused it and his irritation is almost entirely replaced by worry. Looks to the child~

CHILD:

~the young boy staggers to his feet, brushing his blonde hair out of his face before turning to look at the Doctor and the Master, suddenly freezing~ Dad…? Father?

DOCTOR:

~the names hit him and he smiles hopefully~ Alia…? ~inhales deeply through his nose to confirm his suspicions~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s definitely a new Timelord scent in the room~

BOY:

~he squints slightly at the name as it obviously doesn’t fit~ I guess. Yeah, that’s me.

DOCTOR:

~stands up, smiling happily as he looks at his son, having seen them die last time he saw them~ thank god, you’re alright… regenerated, but alive.

ALIA:

~runs up to wrap his arms around the Doctor tightly when he stands, starting to sob after a moment~

MASTER:

~stands up as well, concerned and sympathetic~

DOCTOR:

~wraps his arms around Alia as well, closing off his worried, furious thoughts from him~ shh… it’s okay… ~slides his arms under his son’s to lift him up~

ALIA:

~easily lets himself be hefted up, wrapping his arms around the Doctor’s neck and continuing to cry~ i-it was so horrible, Daddy…

DOCTOR:

Shh, I know… no one’s supposed to have to go through that, not at your age… ~his own overwhelming fury against GLaDOS becomes evident to the Master but he keeps it from their son~

MASTER:

~comes up and places a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder, trying to soothe his anger~

ALIA:

~his sniffles die down and he almost jokingly brings up~ I messed up the room when I regentated.

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly, his anger not going away but becoming more dormant and contained~ yeah… I burnt up a good portion of the TARDIS one time I regenerated; it can get destructive.

ALIA:

~wipes the tears off his face before letting go of the Doctor’s neck, lowering himself back to the ground~ Daddy, did something go wrong with my regerination? ~looks at himself~

DOCTOR:

~easily lets Alia go~ no, you’ve just swapped genders. Everyone looks and acts a bit different after regeneration and sometimes they end up being of the opposite sex.

ALIA:

~sits on the nearby companion cube, hitting his feet together in thought~ now my name sounds strange.

DOCTOR:

Well yeah, it is a typically feminine name… ~looks thoughtful, trying to think of a close but more masculine Timelord name~

ALIA:

~looks back and forth between the Doctor and the Master expectantly~

MASTER:

Alan? ~suggests after a moment~

DOCTOR:

~thinks through the name, nodding slightly~ sounds good to me, and easy to transition to. ~looks over at their son~ what do you think? It is your name, after all.

ALAN:

~grins cutely~ yeah! ~brushes his hair behind his ear to get it out of his face, smiling and kicking his feet~ what’cha guys been doing in here?

DOCTOR:

Well… not much, really… I mean, GLaDOS made us eat a thing, so we were acting a bit loopy. Before that, we were in a coma—which is like a really long or deep sleep…

ALAN:

~looks distressed~ did she hurt you? ~speaking in the plural you, glancing at both parents to show it~

DOCTOR:

The only real, physical injuries are the ones across your father’s face, I believe. And they’ve been properly tended to. ~glances over at the Master for confirmation~

MASTER:

~nods slightly, feeling his face gently as if he had momentarily forgotten about them~ Dr. Holloway was there; I doubt he did anything malicious even if it was GLaDOS’s intent.

ALAN:

~relaxes, seeming reassured~ I’ve been real busy.

DOCTOR:

~inwardly grimaces at Alan’s wording~ I don’t doubt it. Nothing isn’t a test here.

ALAN:

~yawns~ at least nothin’s been dangerous after… that. ~obviously is horrified by the memory of regenerating~

MASTER:

~grimaces a little and walks over to examine the broken disk that had fallen from before~

DOCTOR:

Well that’s good to hear… ~seems softly concerned~ you sound tired. You should get some rest while there’s a lull in activity.

ALAN:

~blinks carefully, nodding after a moment~ okay, Dad. ~yawns again, getting up off the cube and looking around to see if there’s anywhere more comfortable than the floor, finding none, then lying down near the cube and curling up to sleep~


	20. déjà vu

 

DOCTOR:

~smiles a little, walking over to the Master to see what he’s looking at, mentally seeming a bit more stable than he has been as of late~

MASTER:

~keeps his gaze on his hand, blood dripping from his pointer finger as he continues drawing a sharp edge of the broken disk across his palm, seeming to not even notice the Doctor’s presence~

DOCTOR:

~sighs sadly, speaking in a soft, almost disappointed whisper~ Master…

MASTER:

~flinches and drops the piece of disk, curling his hand into a fist as if to try and hide the wound as he turns to the Doctor~ I- ~glances over at Alan, going quiet and turning his gaze to the floor~

DOCTOR:

I know; trust me, I know. I’d rather this than-… ~tears up slightly but stops himself from doing more than that, shaking his head~ just—do what you have to.

MASTER:

~murmurs quietly~ I shouldn’t have to do anything. ~but obeys the Doctor’s command, picking up the shard again and drawing another cut across his hand in the opposite direction, making an x~

DOCTOR:

Don’t argue with me on this… please. ~speaks in a consistently soft tone, walking over to sit back down on the bench and just think to himself~

MASTER:

~shakes his head slightly, agreeing~ of course not. ~puts the shard in his pocket, looking at his hand for a moment before wiping the blood off on his jumpsuit~

DOCTOR:

~seems lost in thought mentally and physically, thinking about what “Rose” said and how he saved New Gallifrey from Daleks when he hadn’t forgiven the Master and how he left Rose in a castle of unconscious people for the Master. There’s certainly an underlying message to it all but is it truth or what She wants him to believe…?~

ALAN:

~sits up slowly, not having actually fallen asleep in such a short time, and looking over at the Doctor in worry~ what’s going on? ~speaks timidly~

MASTER:

~puts his hands in his pockets when Alan speaks~

DOCTOR:

~looks to Alan, smiling faintly~ nothing you need to be concerned with, it’s alright…

ALAN:

~his distress grows as he suddenly realizes something~ what if I wake up and you’re all gone? ~starts tearing up~

DOCTOR:

~gets up and walks over to Alan, kneeling in front of him with a more serious expression~ Alan… I can’t guarantee you much here, I’ll admit… but your father and I have a tendency to come back no matter what. We may not have much control over what happens now, but you being awake won’t change that—get some rest while you can.

ALAN:

Alright… ~still looks uneasy, moving towards the Doctor~ can you and Father just… stay here with me? ~snuggles up to the Doctor, seeking comfort~

DOCTOR:

Alright, ~sits down in a more comfortable position, understanding of Alan’s situation~ I won’t go anywhere.

ALAN:

~relaxes slightly, but looks up again to search for the Master~ Father?

MASTER:

~hesitantly walks over, keeping his bleeding hand in his pocket as he responds reassuringly~ I’m here too.

DOCTOR:

See? Neither of us are leaving. ~smiles reassuringly at Alan~

ALAN:

~smiles, reassured, and closes his eyes as he uses the Doctor’s chest for a pillow~ thanks Dad.

MASTER:

~walks around them and sits on the companion cube so he’s still nearby but not crouched on the floor~

DOCTOR:

No problem… ~feels like he doesn’t deserve the praise but he accepts it, keeping most of his thoughts from Alan~

MASTER:

~reassuringly reaches over with his free hand to gently brush his fingers down the Doctor’s cheek, saying he’s here if the Doctor needs someone to confide in~

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly, smiling though he doesn’t seem to really want to confide in the Master. His thoughts are accessible, but only if the Master were to telepathically get into his head and read them~

MASTER:

~doesn’t feel the need to dig into the Doctor’s business if he doesn’t want him to, simply running his hand through the Doctor’s tousled hair comfortingly for a while~

ALAN:

~starts to gently snore~

DOCTOR:

~eventually does speak softly, though it’s not clear whether or not he meant to do so aloud~ when’s the last time I really helped someone…?

MASTER:

~looks down at the soundly sleeping child in the Doctor’s lap, speaking with the same volume~ you helped Alan get to sleep…

DOCTOR:

Yeah, I guess I did… ~sounds unsatisfied with the answer, sinking back into deep thought~

MASTER:

~quietly moves the cube backwards so he can kneel down beside the Doctor, lightly kissing his cheek before adding jokingly~ and you helped me get dressed.

DOCTOR:

~chuckles half-heartedly, frustrated near the point of anger behind his thin harmlessly thoughtful façade~

MASTER:

~becomes worried, noticing the Doctor’s fragile composure and trying to soothe him while also hiding his own distress~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, mentally apologizing and opening his thoughts to the Master—the innocent people he killed for him, what “Rose” had said about the Master, the fact that it was GLaDOS’ advice, his own frustration over needing the Master so much, the fact that everyone he cares about always gets hurt, and of course the lack of good he’s done lately~

MASTER:

~brings an arm across the Doctor’s shoulders, holding him close and nuzzling the Doctor’s neck comfortingly, mentally replying that he needs the Doctor just as much, and reminding him that GLaDOS is just trying to push them apart~

DOCTOR:

~carefully brings up the fact that the Master has only made two of his points irrelevant, as if afraid of making any particularly emotional response~

MASTER:

~tries to get the Doctor to realize that the majority of their problems come from GLaDOS’ influence, after a moment simply asking if it would help if the Doctor let him take the drums~

DOCTOR:

~near instantly rejects the Master’s offer, though he does seem to better accept the point that it’s really all GLaDOS’ fault, reassuring the Master that he wouldn’t leave him even if he valued GLaDOS’ word on the matter~

MASTER:

~flinches back slightly at the suddenness of the Doctor’s refusal, seeming wary of upsetting the Doctor now as he carefully thanks him~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, making himself relax mentally and physically when he notices the Master’s response to him~

MASTER:

~relaxes somewhat, looking over at Alan~

ALAN:

~fidgets and stirs in his sleep~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t trust himself to try to telepathically comfort or calm Alan, afraid he’ll accidentally let something more negative slip, instead just looking at his sleeping son in concern~

MASTER:

~understands the Doctor’s concern, gently bringing his clean hand to Alan’s head and telepathically trying to soothe him, without waking him up~

ALAN:

~settles into a comfortable position and smiles slightly~

DOCTOR:

~smiles genuinely, waiting until the Master’s no longer telepathically connected to Alan to bring a hand to the side of the Master’s head and gently bring him into a soft but brief kiss~

MASTER:

~smiles, made happy by the unexpected gesture and moving himself closer to the Doctor, relaxing against the other Timelord’s shoulder. Sends warm, positive feeling through the link~

DOCTOR:

~easily supports any weight the Master leans on him with, happy with his current situation—minus Aperture~

ENVIRONMENT:

~two ceiling tiles clatter to the ground a few feet away~

MASTER:

~sits up~

ALAN:

~is startled awake, yelping in surprise and fearfully latching onto the Doctor, his relief that his parents are still there being evident telepathically~

DOCTOR:

~automatically wraps his arms around Alan as well, waiting a moment while watching the ceiling before letting go and trying to see if there’s anything interesting on or above this room~

ENVIRONMENT:

~another cube cute places itself in the newly made opening; after a moment it starts to suck in air like a vacuum~

MASTER:

~stands up and looks at it untrustingly~

ALAN:

~doesn’t dare turn to look and continues to hide in the fabric of the Doctor’s jumpsuit~

DOCTOR:

~stands, picking Alan up as he does so and mentally asking the Master if he thinks the room could be air-tight~

MASTER:

~suddenly looks concerned, realizing that if it is GLaDOS could be draining their air supply; looks up at the two chutes, relaxing slightly when he realizes that circular tubes coming through rectangular openings leaves room for air to circulate~

DOCTOR:

~relaxes as well, though only slightly, trying to figure out what the purpose of the cute is but coming up with nothing~

ALAN:

~turns his head slightly, his eyes tightly closed, opening one eye just to see what it is and relaxing, somewhat embarrassed by his drastic reaction to a simple chute~ what’s that for?

DOCTOR:

Honestly? ~shrugs~ no clue. It’s sucking in air, but not in a dangerous way, it seems…

MASTER:

~walks around it, taking his hand out of his pocket and reaching up underneath it, stepping back quickly when the tube tries to suck his hand in, but it only gets a few drops of his blood~

ALAN:

~sees and his eyes go wide with worry~ Father!?

DOCTOR:

~realizes what happened, speaking reassuringly~ it’s alright, your Father just tripped and got cut on one of the pieces of disk at one point when you were asleep. It’ll heal up fine.

ALAN:

~nods, but still looks worriedly at the Master, before snuggling back up to the Doctor~

MASTER:

~puts his hand back in his pocket quickly~ yeah… ~glances at the floor before thinking to the Doctor that GLaDOS might want them to exit through the chute~

DOCTOR:

~finds that that way of moving them seems like more work than is necessary—why not just use elevators and such like normal?~

MASTER:

~shrugs slightly, responding that he has no idea how that artificial thought processor of Hers works~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the Master as he speaks~ so the question is: do we try to go through or stay here?

MASTER:

~looks thoughtful, glancing up at the chute briefly one more time before shrugging~ whatever you think is best.

ALAN:

~turns himself, opting to be let out of the Doctor’s grasp~

DOCTOR:

~easily sets Alan down~ I suppose it’s probably better than doing nothing… ~walks over under the chute~

ALAN:

~goes over to the companion cube, picking it up with some difficulty and hefting it over to the chute; sets it down underneath, and the chute sucks it up~ in case there’s a trap. ~looks to the Doctor with a proud smile~

DOCTOR:

~smiles back, ruffling Alan’s hair in a “that’s my boy” sort of way, though he realizes this is evidence of what the Master said about what She does in the Valiant dream… Alan could easily be made a soldier here. Hops up slightly under the chute, grabbing the edge to pull himself up though it may not be entirely necessary~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the air current pulls him up and through the chute, sending him tumbling through the glass tube out into a twisting maze of different chutes, with various items flowing through the others~

MASTER:

~helps Alan up into the chute next, and lastly he hoists himself up as well~

DOCTOR:

~just curls up and lets the air current take him wherever, not knowing which direction would be best and hoping he doesn’t get separated from the others~

ALAN:

~giggles, seeming to be having fun~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the current brings them all safely past multiple intersections, eventually dumping them out into a familiar test where the only way to get to the exit is to head around through crushers, temporarily stilled by the laser redirection cube~

DOCTOR:

~stands and looks around the familiar chamber, swallowing back instinctive fear as he speaks bitterly~ what sort of sick joke are you trying to pull, GLaDOS?

MASTER:

~gets up and looks around, seeming confused~ we did this test in the beginning… ~doesn’t seem to remember when they broke this test in the dream, when Alia was with them~

DOCTOR:

We did this test in the dream. She knows how it turned out. We looked around at the test, realizes there’s no way to do it properly and get all of us through, so we broke the glass with the cube. You threw it first, making the initial crack, then I kept throwing it at the crack until there was a hole big enough to walk through.

ALAN:

~gets up, brushing himself off and tilting his head to the side slightly~ what’s so bad about that?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head~ nothing, we were all fine, it’s what happened after-… but this isn’t that dream, I won’t let that happen. ~picks up the cube, hurling it full-force into the glass wall~

ALAN:

~backs up to avoid glass shards and projectile cubes~

MASTER:

~takes a step forward~ is there anything I can do to help?

DOCTOR:

Not without getting an unnecessary amount of glass in your feet. I’ve got this, trust me. ~starts hacking away at the wall once he has to worry about the cube falling through~

MASTER:

~backs off compliantly, feeling a bit useless as he watches the Doctor working at the opening, concerned for the Doctor’s safety concerned the previously mentioned glass shards~

DOCTOR:

~continues to hack away at the hole until it’s big enough to walk through without worrying too much about the edges before hurling the cube into the acidic water and heading through~ I’d carry Alan over all that if I were you.

MASTER:

~nods~ yes. ~and brings Alan into his arms, carefully picking his way over the maze of broken glass to set Alan down on the other side and climb through himself~

ALAN:

~hops out of the Master’s arms and bounds to the Doctor~ thanks, Father.

DOCTOR:

~sits on the floor, picking glass shards out of his feet and using one of them to cut his pants as he did the first time, only grimacing once or twice as it’s all horribly familiar, mumbling~ not a dream…

MASTER:

~lifts up his foot and picks out the small amount of glass in it, looking over at the Doctor in concern and asking what he was mumbling about~

DOCTOR:

~responds that he was just trying to reassure himself of something as he ties his pants’ cut cuffs to lower the amount of blood his feet lose~

MASTER:

~straightens up, looking toward the exit door and holding his hand out for Alan to take, starting to walk thoughtfully in the direction of the next elevator~ …once upon a time, there was a young tafelshrew who lived hidden in the Capital City of Gallifrey… ~speaking softly, not sure where this came from or where it’s going~

DOCTOR:

~stands and walks with them, looking at the Master in confusion~ what? ~really asking why the Master brought up this tale as he knows what he said~

MASTER:

~smiles and shrugs slightly to show he doesn’t know either~

ALAN:

~seems interested, tugging on the Master’s sleeve~ what happened?

MASTER:

~looks down at him, walking into the elevator and continuing~ well this particular tafelshrew went out each day to find food in the big city—but on one outing he got snatched up by a little timelord, who decided to take the tafelshrew home…

DOCTOR:

~steps into the elevator, playfully indignant~ hey, I know what you’re doing; it was injured! I was just trying to help it—and it’s not like I didn’t feed it!

MASTER:

~sits down, playfully exasperated~ come on, you spoiled the story.

ALAN:

~looks briefly disappointed before sitting down next to the Master, looking outside as the doors close and the elevator moves upward~

DOCTOR:

Well you forgot to mention that it was injured and therefore it sounds like I just decided plucked some poor creature from its usual life. ~chuckles slightly~

MASTER:

I didn’t _get_ to that part yet. ~shrugs, throwing his hands up in defeat before bringing them back into his lap, resting his head on the glass and looking out at the passing levels~

DOCTOR:

I guess I do just decidedly pluck creatures from their usual lives anyway if human count…

MASTER:

You don’t just randomly close humans to travel with you, right? I thought they came to you on their own. ~looks up in concern, afraid he only made the Doctor’s worries worse~

DOCTOR:

Well I have standards and I do ask them, but I won’t pretend I’ve never gone looking for a companion.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator comes to a stop in front of what looks like another type of elevator door, except this one can’t be seen through~

ALAN:

~gets up and goes to look out the glass~ why’re we stopped?

DOCTOR:

~looks out the door, shrugging as he speaks~ I don’t know… ~trying to somehow deduce what is beyond the different elevator door~

ENVIRONMENT:

~all the Doctor manages to get is that he recognizes it before both doors slide open, and in front of them is—suddenly very vividly—the Master’s bedroom from the Valiant~

DOCTOR:

~starts speaking a little unsteadily to GLaDOS~ don’t do this to me… it was a dream; that’s the only explanation that makes proper sense! You can recreate all you want, but I am NOT ASLEEP!

MASTER:

~stands up and holds the Doctor reassuringly~ it’s alright, Doctor. We’re all awake. Besides, this room doesn’t look that dangerous…

ALAN:

~glances at the Doctor worriedly, but his curiosity takes over and he walks into the room to look around~

DOCTOR:

~seems to relax a little~ it doesn’t help that that’s what you said in every dream, but thanks for the moral support. And, at least in the dream, the bedroom—in and of itself—is not dangerous, in fact it’s quite nice.

ALAN:

~wanders about the room, heading up to the bed and picking up a pair of handcuffs near one of the legs of the bed~ hey Dad, what’s this? ~turns and lifts it up~

MASTER:

~makes his way into the room and stops in his tracks~

DOCTOR:

~walks over into the room~ they’re handcuffs Alan, generally used to restrain suspected criminals and prisoners. That’s not important, though… ~walks over to the Master’s desk to look at the papers he was never really allowed to properly examine~

MASTER:

~swerves in front of the Doctor before he gets to the desk, looking angry~ and what do you think _you’re_ doing?

DOCTOR:

~shrinks back instinctively, going into a panicked explanation~ but—no, it’s not—I’m not- ~glances briefly at Alan~ you can see _him,_ right? You have to admit that’s odd considering Alia in this reality.

MASTER:

~relaxes slightly as he realizes they’re all wearing orange jumpsuits and Alia’s obviously different~ yes, it is odd… ~looks back at the Doctor harshly~ did you two go to Aperture?

DOCTOR:

~quickly switches from defensive to offensive, looking angered~ if you really think I’d go down there by choice you’re less capable of understanding emotions than I thought. No, we didn’t get bored and decide to take a stroll in Hell! I may hallucinate, but I’m not that insane—that’s your job.

MASTER:

~retorts~ if I’m so emotionless, why should I even care if GLaDOS has broken the deal and tried to test you again? You know, it might be better to have the both of you out of my way!

ALAN:

~drops the handcuffs and comes over between the two of them, distressed~ guys!

DOCTOR:

I never said you were emotionless, I said you don’t understand the emotions of people most of the time. And if I’m really so in your way, you can kick me out, but my head isn’t the one being messed with. GLaDOS has been changing what you remember this whole time.

MASTER:

~seems more calm after a moment, shaking his head and leaning back on the desk he’s standing in front of~ but I _do_ understand… I was like that because of the drums.

ALAN:

~looks between the two of them, still upset~

DOCTOR:

Ah, another thing that’s oddly different. ~sighs slightly~ Master, we’re in Aperture right now, not on the Valiant.

MASTER:

~furrows his eyebrows in confusion, looking up~ what? That’s ridiculous.

DOCTOR:

~mentally briefly runs the Master through what happened in “reality”, opening the drums only briefly and only to demonstrate he has them~ seem less ridiculous yet?

MASTER:

~sighs lightly, accepting this fact over the link and reaching up to quickly unlatch the collar from around his neck and toss it onto the table like it’s a repulsive nuisance~

ALAN:

~is confused~ what’s going on?

DOCTOR:

~relaxes a little at the Master’s response, honestly glad he’s acting more like his old self~ a number of things are going on, Alan. In short, GLaDOS has been messing with your Father’s memories.

ALAN:

~whines~ does he remember me? ~turns to the Master, realizing he’s there to ask~ Father?

MASTER:

~looks at Alan sympathetically~ I remember you in another regeneration.

DOCTOR:

In each of the dreams you looked different—I suppose they were technically my dreams? GLaDOS mentioned something about having varying control over them, but I think they may have been my own random guess as to how you regenerated.

ALAN:

~looks at the Doctor in concerned confusion~ she was making you dream things?

DOCTOR:

~answers easily~ yes… during the coma I dreamt some good and some bad things; though those are rather mild terms for something that usually felt far from mild. She put your Father in my dreams but changed his memories to fit the dreams.

MASTER:

~brings a hand up to his head, wincing faintly as the Doctor explains~

ALAN:

~doesn’t notice his father’s pained expression, tilting his head slightly at the Doctor~ she can do that? Change memories…?

DOCTOR:

~glances briefly at the Master in concern before answering~ yes. She’s been experimenting with advanced telepathic beings for over a month now, I’m not surprised.

MENTAL:

~through the link the Master’s thoughts seem to be shielded from the Doctor~

ALAN:

~continues, looking panicked~ But—Daddy—I’ve been-... that means She could…

DOCTOR:

~sets his hand on Alan’s shoulder comfortingly, though he’s really getting worried about the Master~ Shh… It’ll be okay. No matter what She does, we’re Timelords, we’ll get through it.

ALAN:

~nods, sniffles and wipes his eyes, stepping close to the Doctor for comfort~

MASTER:

~meanwhile brings his other hand up to his face and lets out a sharp cry of anguish~

DOCTOR:

Master…! ~quickly but carefully moves around Alan to the Master, trying to mentally get to him to comfort him or at least try to do something for him~

MASTER:

~combs his fingers back through his hair as panicked tears streak his face, unable to focus on the Doctor as he sinks down against the desk while muttering urgently~ no… get out of my head… ~seems to be losing strength~

DOCTOR:

~tries to find a way to get to wherever GLaDOS’ link is to try to help the Master without destroying his walls, guessing that the Master’s referring to GLaDOS as he’s not doing anything harmful that he knows of~

MENTAL:

~the blockade keeping the Doctor out doesn’t seem to be the Master’s doing in the first place~

MASTER:

~sinks to his knees, his consciousness fading away as he collapses onto his side~

ALAN:

~panics~ Father!?

DOCTOR:

~gently and cautious of his cuts, kneels down and brings his hands to either side of the Master’s head and touches foreheads with him to get through to the Master, panicked but with the cool guise of a soldier~

ALAN:

~walks around to the other side of the Master and crouches down, asking desperately~ are you helping him, Daddy?

MASTER:

~his mind is more open, but he has a gaping hole in his memory that includes at least a third of his life, while things still seem to be getting shifted around~

DOCTOR:

I’m trying… ~tries desperately to salvage the Master’s memories and get GLaDOS out of his head, making sure their link’s alright~

MENTAL:

~the Doctor is able to cut off whatever is messing with the Master, and retrieve a small amount of the missing memories, but there’s a whole slew of fake memories embedded into his mind now that aren’t being affected by the Doctor’s efforts~

DOCTOR:

~tries to at least figure out what She was trying to do—what the Master does and doesn’t remember~

MASTER:

~remains in a state of unconsciousness~

MENTAL:

~the Doctor finds most of the memories pertaining to the development of their love, trust, and even contempt for each other have been wiped, making the Doctor an insignificant character in the Master’s mind. The fake memories include large chunks from each of the four main realities in the dream~

DOCTOR:

~feels a painful tightness in his chest when he realizes what’s gone, trying though he knows he’s probably done all he can to retrieve and restore the Master’s memories, unaware that his calm façade is slipping physically~

ALAN:

~sees the Doctor’s distress coming through, becoming panicked again~ Daddy, is he alright? What happened?

DOCTOR:

Your Father’s… alive… ~stops his vain attempts to restore the Master’s memories~ but he’s not-… he won’t-… ~sighs, looking over at Alan~ GLaDOS took and rearranged his memories a lot. He doesn’t remember who we are to him.

ALAN:

~looks down at the Master, as if trying to see any visible difference in him before speaking in a small voice~ he doesn’t remember us…?

DOCTOR:

He might remember our names, but that’s about it… ~stands, walking solemnly around to the table, picking up and putting on his collar before walking back to where he knelt next to the Master and simply sitting on the floor~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room is quiet except for a few occasional sniffles from Alan as he holds back tears~

MASTER:

~eventually starts to stir, bringing a hand up to his bandaged face~

ALAN:

~backs up almost fearfully~

DOCTOR:

~forces a friendly smile, speaking softly~ hey… you alright? ~sounding concerned though he really just wants to see the Master recognize him~

MASTER:

~tries to sit up but groans and squeezes his eyes shut, his mind an utter contradictory mess when trying to function fully~ {what the hell…?}

DOCTOR:

{you… passed out. She—GLaDOS—did something to you…} ~feels the Master’s mind struggle to make sense of the false memories that he doubts actually fit together, trying to be a comforting presence without drawing attention to the link~

MASTER:

{No shit.} ~manages to make enough sense of his life to reorient his languages and knowledge of the current situation, sitting up fully and looking between Alan and the Doctor~ so did you pick up the kid from one of the other tests? I must’ve been out for a while…

ALAN:

~starts to cry~

DOCTOR:

~moves around to Alan’s side to comfort him~ uh… yeah… Master, this is Alan; Alan, the Master. He’s quite traumatized from testing, as you can tell.

ALAN:

~just sobs harder at the Doctor’s half-truth, turning and burying his face in the Doctor’s chest~

MASTER:

~looks concerned by Alan’s state, glancing over at the Doctor~ okay… ~looks around the room~ I’m a bit out of sorts; what were we doing?

DOCTOR:

~wraps his arms around Alan~ what we’re usually doing in Aperture—though this doesn’t look like much of a test, I’ll admit… it’s from my coma dreams, but we’re not dreaming, this is GLaDOS’ recreation of it.

MASTER:

Coma dreams…? ~looks confused, obviously not remembering that any of his fake memories were actually from dreams. Reaches up to his fake bandages, decidedly pulling one off to show the stitched wound underneath~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head, sighing and looking at the floor~ She really messed with your head… you have a whole host of missing and fake memories.

MASTER:

~gently feels his no longer bloody wound, grimacing~ do you know what I forgot? ~mentally comes across the link, trying to get rid of it as he thinks it might be GLaDOS’s connection~

DOCTOR:

Well, yes… ~lets the link go, having to blink back tears as he tries to keep himself composed~ your fake memories are based off of the coma dreams I mentioned earlier—if I were to guess, I’d ray that a relatively small amount of your memories are real.

MASTER:

~looks panicked~ what? So I could be remembering everything all wrong-…

ALAN:

~having calmed down slightly, starts shuddering with sobs again~

DOCTOR:

Yes. ~tries to comfort his son~ for one, it wasn’t GLaDOS you disconnected from your mind. Also, Alan’s far from just another young test subject.

MASTER:

~gets to his feet, taking off the rest of his bandages and stuffing them into his pocket~ what do you mean? Who else would’ve been in my head? Is there another entity trying to mess with me? ~starting to get defensive~

DOCTOR:

~casts his gaze down to the floor, hurt~ of course not… I meant a lot to you… you know Timelord tradition, it was me.

MASTER:

Timelord trad-… ~cuts off, furrowing his eyebrows and smiling nervously, giving a small disbelieving chuckle~ but—that makes no sense, we’re hardly friends…

ALAN:

~doesn’t seem to be listening to the Master anymore, focusing on the Doctor’s comfort~

DOCTOR:

~sighs shakily~ like I said… y-you forgot a lot. She tried every other way to separate us, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised… ~a tear escapes his eye and he hugs Alan~

MASTER:

Hey… ~softened by the Doctor’s distress, crouches down next to the Doctor and places a hand on his shoulder, then one on Alan’s~ it’ll be alright. I won’t let this change separate me from you; you’re still the only one I can really depend on here.

DOCTOR:

~forces a small smile, the separation he was talking about having been far less literal though he is glad the Master trusts him, not knowing exactly what to say as he’s not sure how the Master will take them having a son~

MASTER:

~brings his hands up to his head, wincing~ why? You’ve done enough… ~muttering to himself~

DOCTOR:

~worriedly looks over at the Master, wanting to help but not knowing how much he’d be able to considering the fact that the Master’s mind is probably blocked in one way or another by now~

MASTER:

~shakes his head after a moment, looking at the Doctor reassuringly~ I’m fine… things make a little more sense now, though. ~hesitates slightly~ do you want to fix the link? I’m sorry I broke it…

DOCTOR:

~gives a slight, sympathetic smile~ only if you’re comfortable doing so.

MASTER:

~seems uneasy, but nods after a moment~ I’m fine with it.

ALAN:

~doesn’t seem to be permitting the Doctor to move away, gripping him tightly~

DOCTOR:

~nods to acknowledge the Master, not trying to move away from Alan and instead speaking softly~ hey… you alright…? ~rubbing his back comfortingly~

ALAN:

~wipes tears off of his face and loosens his grip slightly~ yes, Daddy.

MASTER:

~looks at Alan and pales slightly, trying not to connect the dots~

DOCTOR:

~notices the Master’s reaction, decidedly not addressing it and instead continuing to talk with Alan~ your Father and I are still here for you, that won’t change.

ALAN:

~nods slightly, sniffling and continuing to wipe his puffy eyes, gradually starting to calm down~

MASTER:

~awkwardly avoids looking at the other two Timelords, seeming a bit overwhelmed~ so, um, who was…

DOCTOR:

~fairly quickly manages to guess the rest of the question~ we had a loom, if that’s what you’re asking about.

MASTER:

Oh. ~directs his gaze at the ground, shifting slightly~

ALAN:

~looks over at the Master and decidedly snuggles up to the Doctor again, knowing his father doesn’t remember him~

DOCTOR:

Alright… on a less awkward note, Master, do you remember the combination to your safe aboard the Valiant? Not that time I was old and trying to stop you, though.

MASTER:

Safe… safe? Oh! ~gets up and looks over in the direction of the picture on the wall that hides the compartment. Looks back at the Doctor, confused~ what time was that?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head~ a time you can’t remember, apparently. This room looks the way we left it, so if we’re _really lucky,_ there’s something of value in that safe.

MASTER:

~goes over to the picture, moving it aside to reveal the safe~ I might remember… I can try… ~puts in a combination, shaking his head as the safe remains locked~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t seem disappointed by the unrewarding result, shrugging~ it would make sense for her to erase it if this is an exact replica—in fact it wouldn’t really make sense for this to be exact; there’s too much risk in that.

MASTER:

Hold on- ~tries another combination, then another, the last one opening the safe. Grins victoriously, but his smile fades as he reaches in and takes out a knife, and then a laser screwdriver in his other hand~

DOCTOR:

~grimaces at the sight of the knife~ so your weapons of choice rather than what was really put into that safe… either way, anything we can get is better than nothing. I did expect weapons, just not those weapons.

MASTER:

~looks back at the Doctor, seeming uncomfortable holding the weapons~

ALAN:

~turns his head to see what the Master’s holding, letting out a sudden scream of terror~

DOCTOR:

Hey, hey! Calm down, what’s wrong!? ~holds his son, panicked by the sudden outburst~

ALAN:

~wails~ no, no, don’t hurt me! ~clings to the Doctor’s neck~

MASTER:

~quickly sets the weapons on the floor~ no, Alan, I wasn’t going to—

DOCTOR:

~speaks softly in reassurance~ your Father would never hurt you, and neither would I… certainly not on purpose. No respectable person would randomly hurt someone, whether they know them or not.

ALAN:

~seems to relax~ but he had scary things…

MASTER:

~stands up, holding his arms close to himself and feeling horrible for upsetting Alan like that~

DOCTOR:

Yes, those were weapons, and yes they are meant to be used to harm people, but we’d never use them on you. In fact, I was thinking they could work as defensive tools—not to hurt anyone except maybe GLaDOS.

MASTER:

~looks up, his eyes widening slightly as he sniffs the air~ neurotoxin.

DOCTOR:

~frowns, speaking in an oddly commanding tone~ pocket the laser, leave the knife—the laser broke the cords better than a knife before and if you fall on that knife I doubt the jumpsuit will help you. ~stands, careful of Alan, looking for a way out of the room~

MASTER:

~quickly puts the knife in the safe and shoves the laser in his pocket~ yes, Doctor.

ALAN:

~looks confused for a moment, then starts to panic~ neurotoxin?

ENVIRONMENT:

~the “elevator” doors are closed, and seem to be inclined to stay that way~

DOCTOR:

~notes the Master’s response mentally—perhaps it’s possible to sway the Master’s personality to that of the Master in any one reality…~ yes, neurotoxin, as in prepare to pass out.

MASTER:

~sits down so he doesn’t end up falling as hard, grimacing as the greenish gas gets thick enough to be visible in the air~

ALAN:

~starts coughing and shaking his head, shivering and letting out a wail of pain~

DOCTOR:

~makes himself walk over to sit near Alan to try to be a comforting presence, wincing in pain and willing himself to pass out sooner rather than later~

ALAN:

~leans into the Doctor, whimpering until he goes unconscious~

MASTER:

~after a moment he drops to the floor, curling in on himself in pain~

DOCTOR:

~falls to the floor with Alan still partially on top of him, occasionally letting out a small noise of pain until he blacks out~


	21. No One's Ever Going to Get Away With Hurting You

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor comes to with darkness surrounding him, unable to tell if either Alan or the Master are there; it feels like he’s in an elevator that’s moving downward~

DOCTOR:

~blinks, dazed~ hello…? ~looking around himself though it doesn’t do much good and sitting up~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a few mildly lit levels pass by, showing that the Doctor’s alone in the elevator; it comes to a gentle stop and the doors slide open, the room beyond being dark with a faint scent of human blood~

DOCTOR:

~his nose scrunches up at the smell~ is anyone in there… and alive? ~goes to step cautiously out of the elevator~

JACK:

Unfortunately. ~an irritable voice comes from further into the room, belonging to Jack~ that you, Doc? ~doesn’t seem hopeful, but disappointed~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, sounding apologetic as he answers~ yeah, Jack… just me, in fact… ~feels horribly alone without his link to the Master, made even more so by Jack’s unforgiving tone~

JACK:

What are you here for? ~sounds accusing, his voice staying in the far corner of whatever room they’re in~

DOCTOR:

I’m here because I was forced to be. Neurotoxin filled the room, I passed out, and now I’m here.

JACK:

~there’s a small sigh from Jack, an incoherent mumble and a moment of silence before he speaks clearly again~ I suppose we’ll have to tolerate each other for now, then. ~his statement is harsh but his tone no longer carries anger~

DOCTOR:

~hurt, retorts~ I know this is my fault, I know I plunged my only family into Hell, I know I’ve screwed up the lives of literally everyone here, alright? All I’ve been trying to do is keep my family safe without permanently leaving them for once!

JACK:

~he shifts uncomfortably, his movements accompanied by the jingling of chains. Speaks softly~ it’s not your fault, Doctor. It’s GLaDOS’s… it’s just hard for me to think of it that way. I tend to hold a grudge. ~seems disappointed, but not in the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~calms down a bit at Jack’s soft tone~ then I’m surprised you ever wanted to see me again after Satellite 5… ~hesitates slightly before asking~ are you chained to something?

JACK:

~hesitates for a moment himself, the jingling sound coming again~ …yes.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor’s eyes seem to be getting more used to the darkness, and he can faintly make out shapes of a few freestanding counters in the room and small movement from the far left corner where Jack sits on the floor~

DOCTOR:

~is silent for a moment as he paused to keep his thoughts and moral compass straight, walking to the closest counter to see if he can make out anything useful on it~ well then, getting you unchained seems like it should be a priority…

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor’s ability to see is very limited, and he ends up running into the counter he’s approaching as it seems closer than expected~

JACK:

~shakes his head~ I’ve tried already.

DOCTOR:

Well I really didn’t expect you, of all people, to not have tried to get out… I do smell blood, as well. ~presents the extra fact as if it were evidence, feeling the counter top to see if he can find anything, also checking his pockets just in case~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Doctor’s hands knock against a pile of various blades that feel like they’re made to slot into a larger mechanism, and are covered in a slick liquid~

JACK:

That would be mine. ~responds softly, giving a small sigh~

DOCTOR:

~grimaces as he realizes what he’s feeling, trying to flick what he can only assume is blood off of his hand, ending up licking some of it off to try and make the drums’ growing bloodlust subside~ yeah…

JACK:

~picks up on the nervousness in the Doctor’s voice, looking up~ you okay, Doc? ~pulls against his chains as if to bring attention to himself~ did you find anything?

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head~ just a plethora of blood-soaked knives… ~looks over at the other coutners, part of him not wanting to know what other tools are at his disposal~ but I get the horrible feeling that I know what She’s testing…

JACK:

What? ~asks with a certain dread, though his curiosity takes precedene over it~ how many different ways She can kill me? ~adds bitterly~

DOCTOR:

Oh She’s not the one that’s meant to hurt you now… She planted the drums in my head and threw me into a bloody room with torture weapons and you—the only true immortal that She knows of—chained into a corner.

JACK:

~his eyes widen slightly, looking over in the direction of the Doctor’s voice and backing up into his corner~ you—you wouldn’t do that, would you Doc? ~asks with lighthearted hopefulness~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles slightly~ your confidence in my ability to fight something designed to drive a Timelord mad flatters me. I’d love to be able to say “of course not, Jack, I’d never do that!” And believe me, I’ll fight it as much as I can, but that’s going to be made even harder by these conditions. I can promise I won’t _kill_ you, though.

JACK:

That’s not much of a comfort. ~murmurs quietly with a hint of humor in his voice, silently sitting there for a few moments. Looks up again~ we still trying to get me unchained?

DOCTOR:

Yes. ~walks towards another counter, focusing on getting his mind in order before touching what he honestly expects to be more weapons~

ENVIRONMENT:

~his hands come over various tools such as pliers and normal screwdrivers, before encountering a thick ring of heavy metal that seems to be corroded through on one side, though the surface is dry~

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand to his head as if in pain~ what kind of twisted-… ~shakes his head~ Jack, do you know how the chain’s connected to the wall? Also—and trust me, this is actually important—is there anything around your neck?

JACK:

Nah, it’s just my wrists. ~shifts around, grunting slightly with effort~ I can’t… tell… ~relaxes after a moment, letting out a sigh~ hey, why not just cut off my hands.

DOCTOR:

~responds with a little too much curiosity~ do your limbs regenerate?

JACK:

Normally… yes. ~responds with slight hesitance, put off by the Doctor’s curious tone~ might have to kill me for them to come back, though.

DOCTOR:

Also, I’m not convinced that the knives at my disposal would cut through bone easily, so the result may be a slow sawing of your wrists, which I assume you’d prefer to avoid if at all possible. Breaking your wrists is also an option, and less potentially grueling.

JACK:

~shrugs slightly~ you could kill me first; then I wouldn’t feel it. Besides, I’ve been through worse.

DOCTOR:

Alright. ~walks back to the first table for his murder weapon, grabbing the first knife he deems to be adequate for the job, knowing there’s blood on his hands again as well as the knife~

JACK:

~nervously tries to find the Doctor in the dark, probably less able to see than the Doctor is~ so… preferably something quick like a jab to the forehead or neck, if you don’t mind.

DOCTOR:

Yes, I did intend to kill you quickly. ~walks to Jack carefully to avoid running into him, purposefully walking audibly and setting a hand on Jack’s shoulder once he finds it~ I’m not cruel; not by nature.

JACK:

~shrugs again, maintaining his casual nature~ I mean, you never know. Not asking usually either leads to a huge messy problem or really disappointing sex.

DOCTOR:

~laughs lightly—Jack is still Jack~ and, on some occasions, both. ~easily slits Jack’s throat after speaking, waiting a short moment so he’s sure he’s really killed Jack before getting to work on his wrists~

JACK:

~gurgles blood, going limp almost immediately and slumping forward, the shackles around his wrists keeping him from falling until the Doctor’s cut off them both~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t falter or pause while sawing Jack’s hands off, stopping him from falling with one arm while wielding the knife with the other and leaning Jack back against his corner, casually licking the blood off of his knife while he’s sure Jack can’t see him~

JACK:

~the wound on his neck starts to close up and his hands start to regrow themselves, and Jack starts awake when the process of healing is finished. Looks down at his unchained hands, and the other pair still near the cuffs~ thanks, Doc.

DOCTOR:

Any time? ~feels a little odd about being thanked for cutting someone’s hands off~ there are som things here that could prove useful; actual tools… that is, if we get to keep whatever we take.

JACK:

~chuckles slightly at the Doctor’s reaction, but it’s short-lived~ I doubt it. It’d be nice if we could, you know, find something to clean the blood off me. If it wasn’t so goddamn dark in here… ~carefully tries to stand, his legs buckling~

DOCTOR:

~pockets the knife before offering his assistance as he hears Jack struggle~ need help?

JACK:

Yeah… ~easily accepts the Doctor’s help, taking his hand and wrapping his other arm around the Timelord’s waist, making the Doctor’s help more intimate than it needed to be~ thanks again.

DOCTOR:

~notices the gesture but easily lets it slide—this _is_ Jack, after all. Starts towards a counter he hasn’t been to yet~ no problem.

JACK:

~easily stands on his own now, zipping up his jumpsuit which had become disheveled while he was unable to use his hands for god knows how long~ but seriously, I’m gonna go blind if I’m cooped up in the dark much longer.

ENVIRONMENT:

~on the last counter the Doctor finds a small coiled whip and a bunch of little hair clips~

DOCTOR:

~speaks in a mildly agitated tone~ well this, while disturbing, is not useful… we could ask for light, but that almost never works and GLaDOS and I have a mutual hatred anyway.

JACK:

Well, if you’re done looking around, I feel obliged to take the elevator option. ~comments blithely, blundering his way in between the counters to the opposite side of the room~

DOCTOR:

~follows Jack, the easiness of this ‘test’ bothering him. Brings a hand to his temple to ease his slowly escalating headache~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they’re met with no opposition, even though the Doctor has a knife with him~

JACK:

~feels his way into the elevator and leans back on the wall with a sigh of relief~ it sure is great to not be chained to a wall.

DOCTOR:

~follows Jack into the elevator, speaking in a good-humored tone~ I suppose even you can get sick of such a thing.

JACK:

~playfully nudges the Doctor with his elbow, smiling~ hey, I’m not _that_ kinky.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator doors close, moving upward; the light seems to be gradually returning~

JACK:

~squints, rubbing his eyes~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles, smiling like he’s remembered an inside joke and blinking as his eyes readjust to the light~

ENVIRONMENT:

~Jack must’ve been suck really far down in the facility, because the levels continue to pass by~

JACK:

~blinks continuously, looking panicked~

DOCTOR:

~looks to his old friend, made concerned by his panicked demeanor~ Jack, can you see?

JACK:

~closes his eyes tightly, covering them with his hands~ I-I’ll adjust… ~still seems somewhat panicked, a hint of doubt in his voice~

DOCTOR:

~tries to sound reassuring~ you must’ve been down there for a while… it is entirely possible your eyes will just take a few minutes to adjust.

JACK:

~takes his hands away from his face and folds his arms, forcing himself to not blink desperately as he stares blankly through the floor~ probably. I’ll be fine, as I said.

DOCTOR:

~nods, rolling his eyes at Jack’s refusal to admit that his situation might—for once—not be fine, but letting the human immortal worry about himself for the time being~

JACK:

~chuckles without humor~ at least I can say I called it. ~looks up when the elevator comes to a stop~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the doors open, revealing a well-lit, white hallway in front of them~

DOCTOR:

Well, right now we’re just looking at a hallway, so it’s not like we’re anywhere that’s difficult to navigate.

JACK:

I can see… barely. I can navigate fine on my own… ~walks out of the elevator, confidently doing well for the first few strides before he runs into the wall at an angle, jumping back and holding his nose while blushing slightly out of embarrassment~

DOCTOR:

~walks out of the elevator, easily starting down the hall, figuring if Jack can’t see the walls he can certainly follow the sound of his footsteps, decidedly not saying anything about the failed attempt at navigation~

JACK:

~turns and follows the Doctor quickly~

ENVIRONMENT:

~doors start to come up on either side of them, a few with windows to see inside. There’s the sound of muffled screaming coming from further down the hallway~

JACK:

~immediately focuses toward the sound~

DOCTOR:

~breaks into a sprint, briefly glancing at Jack to better judge where he’s running to, knowing Jack has to be listening more, hoping someone other than the Master or Alan is the cause of this~

JACK:

~stumbles after the Doctor, caught off-guard by the sudden sprint~

ENVIRONMENT:

~it’s not hard to miss when they come to a room with a window beside the door, where inside Alan is strapped to a chair with strange things hooked up to him. A few scientists mill about the technology in the room~

ALAN:

~screams again, tears running down his red cheeks~

DOCTOR:

~comes to a sudden halt, whipping around as he had passed the door and glances through the window, instantly trying to open the door~ goddamnit, should’ve grabbed the tools, I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD GRAB THE TOOLS!

ENVIRONMENT:

~the door is locked, and looks invulnerable when it comes to the Doctor’s current abilities~

JACK:

~flinches back in surprise at the Doctor’s sudden urgency~ w-what? Who’s in there, Doc? ~starting to match the Doctor’s tone of voice~

DOCTOR:

My son. ~goes to the window, resorting to attempting to hack his way through the glass with the knife and no regard to the state of his hand~ I knew we should’ve taken the weapons, she let us keep them, I told you—if I can’t get to my son because I listened to your pessimistic bullshit…

JACK:

~comes up and pushes the Doctor away from the window, his expression grave~ Doc, don’t get yourself hurt. ~turns and drives a fist through the glass, hearing the window shatter with satisfaction and ignoring the gashes down his arm~

ALAN:

Daddy!? ~cries desperately from inside~

DOCTOR:

Thank you. ~speaks quickly before going to climb through the window, now speaking to the scientists with a knife in his hands that are still covered in Jack’s blood~ alright, you all have ten seconds to let the child go. Alan, close your eyes, I don’t want you to see what I might have to do. ~standing with his back to the wall so he can’t be snuck up on~

SCIENTISTS:

~the three scientists seem completely unperturbed by the Doctor’s threats, in fact continuing to go about their experimenting almost thoughtlessly~

ALAN:

~whimpers and closes his eyes as told~

JACK:

~looks in from outside the broken window~ …need my help?

DOCTOR:

Backup isn’t _unwelcome._ ~kicks one of the scientists over~ I’m not sure these guys are thinking for themselves. ~cuts another, only on the shoulder~

SCIENTIST1:

~the first human falls and remains on the floor~

SCIENTIST2:

~the one the Doctor cuts seem to snap out of the trace and shouts in pain, bringing a hand to his shoulder and looking at the Doctor with fear in his eyes~

JACK:

~climbs through the window carefully~

ALAN:

~screams again~ Daddy!!

SCIENTIST3:

~still messing with the technology~

DOCTOR:

~runs and cuts the third scientist’s arm~ FREE THE CHILD; _NOW!_ And God help you if something’s wrong with him.

SCIENTIST3:

~cries out~ fucking hell- ~bites her tongue, quickly going to the panel and button that released Alan’s restraints~

ALAN:

~the sobbing child brings his hands up to his face, various things still sticking out of him~

JACK:

~picks up the one the Doctor kicked down, holding him by his shirt collar and trying to analyze the human’s absent expression~

DOCTOR:

Now detach him from the machine, ~speaks impatiently, gesturing to Alan with the bloodied knife~

SCIENTIST3:

~quickly nods and flicks a few switches before pressing something else, and the devices detach themselves from Alan~

JACK:

~takes another look at the dazed human before delivering a smooth blow to his jaw to knock him out~ is he okay? ~looking in Alan’s direction~

DOCTOR:

He’s not hooked up anymore… ~keeps the blade in his right hand as he wipes the blood off of his left inside his pocket, bringing his now-clean arm around under his son to pick him up, murmuring~ Alan… you’re going to be okay, alright? Does anything still hurt? ~keeping an eye on the scientists~

JACK:

~goes to assist in watching the scientists but pauses, and decidedly just listens instead~

ALAN:

~lets himself be brought into the Doctor’s hold, remaining eerily silent as he looks up into the Doctor’s eyes~

DOCTOR:

Alan, talk to me… It’s your dad, you called for me, just a moment ago. ~speaks shakily in response to the uncharacteristic behavior~

ALAN:

~continues to stare at the Doctor blankly for a concerning amount of time before he giggles and playfully bats the Doctor’s ear~ Silly daddy; I know who you are.

DOCTOR:

~just gets more concerned~ Jack, watch the scientists. Don’t let them leave this room. ~touches his forehead to Alan’s, telepathically trying to sort out what’s wrong~

JACK:

Sure, Doc. ~mumbles~ _watch_ the scientists, he says…

ALAN:

~his mind is completely open as usual, but other than his memories (which are fine) his thoughts and decisions seem completely unpredictable~

DOCTOR:

~tries to find where the disconnection or inconsistency is~ you know what I meant, Jack… You two conscious scientists, what did you do to him _exactly._

MENTAL:

~telepathically, it’s impossible to find what the Doctor’s looking for; as the problem is physical~

SCIENTIST3:

What? ~the female asks irritably~ I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I did nothing.

ALAN:

~coos cheerfully, his small hands coming up to feel the Doctor’s face in fascination~

DOCTOR:

~backs off, disconnecting from Alan’s mind, looking to the female human~ don’t test my patience, woman, I don’t care what sort of trance you were in and I’m not in the mood to argue. ~looks back at Alan~ does anything hurt?

ALAN:

~still with his hands on the Doctor’s face, grins almost deviously~ nope. ~shakes his head slightly to confirm his answer, placing a hand over the Doctor’s right eye~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, carefully setting his son down and striding angrily to the man and the woman in lab coats~ explain what you did to him—I don’t care if you don’t remember, you had better look over that machine and figure it out before I lose my patience.

SCIENTIST2:

~the man takes a defensive stance~

SCIENTIST3:

~the woman steps towards the machine, but stops~ why don’t _you_ look over it if you’re so sure it’ll give us answers? Because I know I am in no way capable of operating that machine. ~it’s almost like she’s looking for a fight~

DOCTOR:

~swiftly cuts her cheek~ I saw you operating the machine. I will lay this out really clearly for you but only one more time. You and your buddy are going to either tell me what you did to my son—and I don’t care whether or not you think you’re guilty of it, because I saw it—or you’re going to face a slow, painful death which I will gladly provide for you. Choose. ~looks to the man~ you too.

JACK:

Doc… ~he murmurs~

SCIENTIST3:

~defensively speaks back, holding her cheek~ I know the safety features on almost any control panel; but not how to operate it! You’re crazy- ~stops abruptly~

GLaDOS:

~there’s a low, unnerving robotic chuckle coming from the speakers~

ENVRIONMENT:

~everyone looks uneasy except for Alan~

ALAN:

~chuckles along with Her~

DOCTOR:

~Looks around, angered, scared, and mentally alone in his war against the drums~ GLaDOS! What did you do to my son!? What did you do to these people!?

GLaDOS:

~seems to speak directly through to the Doctor’s mind~ *Oh, it wasn’t me, Doctor. It was you. It’s always been you.*

DOCTOR:

~brings his hands to his own head, careful of his knife, tearing up as he murmurs~ stop it, no, I’d never hurt him I didn’t hurt him…

JACK:

~comes over, grabbing the Doctor’s shoulder~ Doc, snap out of it!

GLaDOS:

~continues to speak to him~ *I never knew your mind was such a personal hell, Doctor… all of this, you did it to yourself. Drove the Master away, killed Alan, tortured Jack…*

DOCTOR:

I-I’m-… no, this is real, this was real, he’s not dead, that was a dream, I’m not-… ~looks at Jack~ She’s in my head, there’s nothing to snap out of.

JACK:

Let’s just get the hell out of here… ~takes the Doctor’s arm, going over to the chair to scoop up Alan in his other arm~

GLaDOS:

~continues to taunt the Doctor~

SCIENTISTS:

~the other two humans stand there in a daze~

DOCTOR:

~lets himself be pulled along, mumbling protest to GLaDOS consistently now, his eyes fixed on the floor~

JACK:

~pushes through the door, which opens from the inside, and pulls the Doctor into the hallway behind him, setting Alan down~

ALAN:

~looks up at Jack with wide eyes, frowning~ Jack…

DOCTOR:

~stalls in his mumbling, having noticed Alan’s expression and looking at him, his eyebrows furrowed in an effort to focus or at least hear through GLaDOS and the drums~ Alan… y-you alright?

ALAN:

~points to the knife in the Doctor’s hand, speaking matter-of-factly~ you stabbed people. ~looks up at the Doctor, his face splitting into a grin after a moment as he giggles~

DOCTOR:

~just closes his eyes and grimaces, hating the fact that part of him really wants to cling to the idea that this is just another dream, knowing that he’s playing into Her hand~

JACK:

~takes hold of the Doctor’s arm again, looking at him in concern and gently tugging him towards the rest of the hallway~ come on, let’s try to find someplace at least a little safer before we assess the situation. You too, Alan. ~speaks just to the Doctor~ also my vision’s back, in case you were wondering.

DOCTOR:

~takes a moment to sort through what he’s hearing~ yeah… good, okay. ~starting down the hall~

GLaDOS:

~her torrent of accusations cease after a moment~

JACK:

~stops walking when it’s obvious Alan isn’t following~

ALAN:

~the child seems transfixed on the space around him~

DOCTOR:

Thank god… ~turns to Alan, wearily walking back to his son, pocketing his knife~

ALAN:

~freezes and looks at the Doctor, seeming unsure of what to think of him at the moment~

JACK:

~stays where he is, turning to look at the Doctor with gentle concern as he walks back to Alan~

DOCTOR:

~gives a soft smile, stopping within two yards of Alan~ Alan, son, come on… we have to get somewhere safe.

ALAN:

Okay, Daddy. ~nods and runs up to the Doctor without hesitating, reaching up towards the Doctor’s shoulders like he wants to be held~

DOCTOR:

~wipes his still-bloody right hand off on a pant leg before picking Alan up, careful of the knife, turning to start walking down the hall again~

ALAN:

~snuggles up to the Doctor contentedly~

JACK:

~gives a small smile, turning to continue walking down the hallway while seeming calm, yet keeping out a cautious eye~

DOCTOR:

~absently walks along next to Jack, seeming tired though only in his expression~

JACK:

~jumps back suddenly when the sound of the TARDIS brakes echoes through the hallway~

TARDIS:

~the blue box starts to materialize~

ALAN:

~squeals happily~

DOCTOR:

~looks up at his ship like he doesn’t believe it could really be there—and he doesn’t, there has to be a catch. Walks towards his TARDIS warily, as if he suspects it to be a trap~

MASTER:

~the TARDIS door opens, and the Master looks out desperately, seeing the group and relaxing in releif~ finally; there you are!

ALAN:

~reaches out towards the Master happily~ Father!

DOCTOR:

~strides over now, assuming now that the TARDIS can be flown~ Master! Well, would you look at that, the gang’s all here- ~remembers the Master’s memory loss, his initial excitement abruptly fading~ oh, but do you remember Jack?

MASTER:

Jack… ~repeats the name, looking over at the human in their midst~ from Torchwood, right? ~doesn’t seem to really recognize him other than his connection to Torchwood~

JACK:

~slowly grins, seeming pleased with this~

DOCTOR:

~sighs slightly, shooting Jack a disapproving glance~ well, I’m sure you’ll get to know him again. To recap, Jack, The Master’s memories—specifically those that explain his relations to me—have been wiped. Good and bad.

JACK:

~returns an innocent look~ ‘kay, Doc.

MASTER:

~looks between them in brief confusion, stepping back and gesturing urgently for them to come inside~

JACK:

~easily follows, giving the Master a sideways glance as he passes~

DOCTOR:

~strides into the TARDIS, greeting her while trying not to think of exactly what Jack might be thinking~ and yes, Jack is the head of Torchwood.

JACK:

~loses his devious smile~ can’t exactly do any leading right now though.

ALAN:

~climbs out of the Doctor’s hold and runs over to the Master, giving him a hug~

MASTER:

~smiles warmly~

DOCTOR:

~looks at Jack sympathetically though Alan and the Master’s actions warm his heart~

MASTER:

~gently moves Alan aside and closes the TARDIS doors, looking over at the Doctor worriedly~ what happened while I was gone?

DOCTOR:

~frowns slightly~ I regained consciousness in an elevator open to the rather dark room GLaDOS had Jack chained up in, got him out, and we took the elevator to a hallway. I found Alan screaming hooked up to a machine—Jack and I got him out of there, but I don’t know what’s wrong with him, his thoughts and behavior are erratic but there’s nothing wrong that I could detect through telepathy.

MASTER:

~turns and looks at Alan in concern, shaking his head and walking up to the console~ let’s get out of Aperture at least… ~puts coordinates into the monitor~

DOCTOR:

~walks over with the Master, looking at the coordinates~ I wasn’t aware we could.

MASTER:

~stares at the coordinates he put in uncertainly for a moment, glancing at the Doctor before going towards the takeoff lever~ it should be fine if we don’t leave the TARDIS…

DOCTOR:

True. ~seems to be getting an idea, checking the breaks and stabilizers to make sure they’re in their technically improper positions, eager to fly the TARDIS his way again though he’ll let the Master pull the lever, stroking her rim slightly~

MASTER:

~notices but doesn’t call attention to the Doctor’s thoughtful expression, going to the lever to pull it and send the TARDIS into flight~

ALAN:

~stumbles and quietly curls up on the floor to avoid being tossed about~

DOCTOR:

~easily runs about the console unnecessarily, flicking switches and pressing buttons with familiarity that nothing has had for a while, not even letting himself worry about his son for the moment, using flying the TARDIS as a stress reliever~

JACK:

~seems relieved that the Doctor is managing to bring himself together, standing back and out of the way until the TARDIS lands~

MASTER:

~goes over to Alan~ alright, let’s see… ~gets down in front of him and goes to check for himself what’s happened to Alan’s mind~

ALAN:

~the child screeches and rolls away from the Master~

MASTER:

~this leaves him looking hurt~

DOCTOR:

~walks over to comfort the Master, asking the TARDIS where they are~ he has no logical thought processes, it’s not you.

TARDIS:

~replies that they’re close by Torchwood HQ~

MASTER:

~stands up, looking down at Alan~ She’s messing with all of us… at the same time, too.

DOCTOR:

All except one… ~turns to the human in the room~ Jack, not to be blunt, but there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with you, right?

JACK:

~puts his hands up in surrender~ apart from the fact that I wake up after I die? Nah, not really. ~smirks flirtatiously~ I’m open to constructive criticism; though I recommend trying me out first. ~gives a little wink~

MASTER:

~looks a little miffed~

DOCTOR:

~just rolls his eyes, smiling so it’s clear he’s not actually bothered~ my point being, GLaDOS knows how the Master, Alan, and I normally act and interact; but Jack’s a newer variable, and especially considering where we are…

JACK:

~shrugs, putting his hands in his pockets and casually pacing~ it’s all a test; what does it matter? Let’s take Alan to the medi-bay—there we can check up on him. Right?

DOCTOR:

Yeah… but I’d be surprised if landing in Cardiff was a coincidence. ~starts towards Alan~

JACK:

Cardiff? ~looks up at the Doctor with hope in his expression, staring at the door longingly~ anywhere near Headquarters?

DOCTOR:

We’re rather close to Torchwood, yes; and that does mean that you can most likely leave—the TARDIS, Alan, the Master, and I will probably bear the consequences, but She can’t reach you out there.

JACK:

~furrows his eyebrows in disgust at the notion~ I’m not going to just selfishly abandon you. I’m above that.

ALAN:

~turns over onto his back, staring at the roof of the TARDIS and murmuring quietly~ never… cruel, never, cowardly…

DOCTOR:

~taken off-guard, freezes and looks at Alan~ never give up, never give in… but I never told you about that, did I?

ALAN:

~rolls his head over to look at the Doctor, his gaze distant~ you don’t need to tell me, Daddy. I _know._

DOCTOR:

~shifts his weight to his other leg in discomfort before speaking with a small concerned smile~ well, how do you _know,_ then?

ALAN:

~a small smile plays at the corners of Alan’s mouth~ I can see them. ~bursts out laughing, curling in on himself and holding his stomach with the force of it~

MASTER:

~looks horribly unnerved by Alan’s actions~

DOCTOR:

~sits down, his legs crossed as he talks to Alan, speaking in a calm tone~ you can see what, son?

ALAN:

~his laughter dies down and he rolls over to face the Doctor, giggling between his words~ the people. ~lifts a hand up to gesture to places around the room~ turning…

DOCTOR:

~speaks as if he’s simply interested—though of course he’s extremely worried in reality~ what people, who do you see?

ALAN:

~still giggling slightly~ they sound funny. ~meets the Doctor’s gaze, looking thoughtful~ and I don’t know what people, Daddy.

DOCTOR:

~responds patiently~ well, what do they look like? What are they wearing?

MASTER:

~takes a step closer in concern~

ALAN:

~his eyes widen and he curls in on himself tightly, holding his head protectively~

DOCTOR:

~speaks softly~ hey, Alan, what’s wrong? Why are you acting so scared of your Father?

ALAN:

~uncurls slightly to look up and respond to the Doctor flatly~ he’s not worried. People who aren’t worried are mean.

DOCTOR:

What do you mean he’s not worried? Of course he is… and there are times—though not normally in Aperture—when there really is nothing to worry about.

ALAN:

I said, I _know._ ~seems insistent, looking at the Doctor as if daring him to contradict his reasoning~

DOCTOR:

~his friendly, calm demeanor diminishes as he speaks~ and I said _how,_ and then you started talking nonsense. I’m trying to help you, but GLaDOS did something to you and it’s messing with your head. ~asks the TARDIS to scan Alan for anything unusual~

ALAN:

~sits up and reaches to grab the Doctor’s face, pulling him forward and touching their foreheads together. The Doctor can sense the TARDIS’ presence in Alan’s mind as she carries out the request, and Alan swarms him with an overwhelming amount of uncategorized raw knowledge~

DOCTOR:

~grimaces slightly at the massive amount of unexpected facts, trying to sort through them and figure out what they’re there for~

ALAN:

~his telepathic abilities also seem to be startlingly strong as he pushes through into the Doctor’s mind, breaking into any memories he would’ve had locked away and preventing the Doctor from even touching his new learnings~

DOCTOR:

~hastily shoves Alan away with force, scrambling away so his child can’t invade his mind again, trying to get his mental walls back up~

ALAN:

~gives the Doctor an icy stare as he backs away~

JACK:

~comes over trying to offer comfort while glancing at Alan untrustingly~ what the hell was that? ~speaking to the Doctor in concern~

DOCTOR:

~speaks as he recollects himself~ he shoves a bunch of random, unorganized information into my head then proceeded to—successfully—break into my memories. I think I shoved him off before he could really look at the memories, but that was not a natural level of telepathy—not for a Timelord.

TARDIS:  
~agrees with the Doctor as she comes back with the results of the scan, comforting him and informing him that there’s probably been some distortion in a particular section of Alan’s brain, allowing him to excel in one aspect, apparently telepathy, and be hindered in another—not identified at the moment~

JACK:

Is he potentially dangerous?

DOCTOR:

Yeah, so am I, your point? ~sighs, shaking his head and relaying the facts defeatedly~ the TARDIS thinks it’s a physical distortion in his brain—extremely hard to reverse and the slightest slip-up could cause more harm than good.

JACK:

~looks sympathetically down at the Doctor, briefly running a hand through his hair in a comforting manner~ we’ll find a way to help him.

MASTER:

~leans back on the console, folding his arms and keeping his gaze on the floor~

DOCTOR:

Telepathy but he sees people who aren’t there… ~thinks for a moment before standing~ but there is one thing I’m finding hard to accept—an inference, so do please prove me wrong. ~pivots to face the Master~ our son has those telepathic abilities, and he was scared because apparently _you_ weren’t worried, which can be translated to… you didn’t care? ~speaks in an interrogating tone to avoid his rampaging emotions~

MASTER:

~looks up, seeming overwhelmed by the Doctor’s questioning~ well-… I thought I told you I have a bit of a caring impediment. ~gives the Doctor a somewhat pleading look~

DOCTOR:

~that just seems to hurt him more, looking at the ground~ not the best place to quote yourself, the reason you gave in that dream of why you threw me out… I’ll go see if I have anything that can help Alan. ~turns to Jack~ Jack, could you watch Alan? Seems you care more about him than his own Father. ~with that, starts towards the hallway~

JACK:

Sure… ~watches the Doctor leave, feeling the sting of his words that are meant for the Master and actually feeling sorry for him~

MASTER:

~doesn’t attempt to follow the Doctor, knowing he’s already bungled things enough and instead finding himself a coral column to crouch behind so he’s out of sight~

DOCTOR:

~goes down the hallway without even considering looking back, knowing he’s alone as he goes to the medic room, the silence leaving him with only the drums to listen to as he sifts through drawers, blinking back tears though he knows no one will see them~

JACK:

~eventually gets Alan to hold his hand as he walks into the hallway, finding staying in the console room pointless. Feels the TARDIS’ mood sink in the atmosphere, knowing that neither the Doctor nor the Master are okay but continuing to smile and walk the way he saw the Doctor turn, trying to talk to Alan about off-topic things~

DOCTOR:

~wipes tears away from his eyes with his sleeve when he can’t hold them back anymore, finding the device he was looking for and pulling himself together as he walks out of the room~

JACK:

~looks up when the Doctor exits the room, giving a small smile~ hey there, Doc. Find anything? ~walks up to him~

ALAN:

~trails behind Jack holding his hand, blinking wearily and looking ready for a nap~

DOCTOR:

~looks at Jack, a little surprised by his presence, forcing a faint smile~ yeah… it’s a neurological scanner—should help us find out what is hindered by the distortion.

ALAN:

~shuffles over to hide behind Jack, looking at the scanner in distress~

JACK:

~glances back at him~ it’s not dangerous, Alan, it’s okay.

DOCTOR:

~looks at Alan with a sympathetic smile, speaking softly~ you know I wouldn’t want to hurt you, right, Alan? Do you want me to use it on myself first so you can see how it works?

ALAN:

I know how it works. ~mumbles from behind Jack where he peers out at the Doctor~ I don’t want you to see.

DOCTOR:

I won’t mess with your brain either way—I’m not an experienced neurosurgeon. I only want to know what’s wrong; I want to be able to help.

TARDIS:

~seems upset all of a sudden~

ALAN:

~his gaze snaps upward and he comments thoughtfully~ you hurt Father’s feelings, now he’s gone.

DOCTOR:

~his eyes widen at the statement and the TARDIS’s mood, of course thinking of the worst-case-scenario first and bolting off to the console room~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the TARDIS doors are open to where they are landed on the Cardiff rift~

GWEN:

~stands just inside the TARDIS, Owen following her. She looks to the Doctor~ who else is on this ship?

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Master isn’t in the console room~

DOCTOR:

Owen, Gwen! Jack’s here and there’s a lot to be explained, but first, have you seen the Master? I snapped at him and I don’t know where he went… I would stay outside of the TARDIS if I were you, though, to not risk getting caught in Aperture as well.

GWEN:

~gestures for the Doctor to come over, taking a step backwards and out of the TARDIS. Nods back the way they came~ if he’s the one that just went with Ianto back to HQ, then that’s where he is.

DOCTOR:

~walks closer to the door~ okay… as long as he’s okay for now. ~turns around, calling out~ Jack, your crew’s here!

JACK:

~comes running into the console room dragging Alan behind him, stopping and looking at Gwen and Owen as a smile spreads across his face~ hey, how you guys doing? ~lets go of Alan’s hand and goes to the front door to draw the both of them into a tight hug~ how’s Ianto? ~his voice wavers slightly~

DOCTOR:

~smiles sadly at the display, though he suddenly realizes something~ wait, the Master left—he’s with Ianto, apparently—and GLaDOS hasn’t done anything… ~looks up as if waiting to be proven wrong~

TARDIS:

~seems concerned, but apart from that unharmed~

GWEN:

~smiles~

OWEN:

~backs off from the hug to respond to Jack~ the whole crew is doing fine. We’re lost without you, though, Jack.

JACK:

~sighs, closing his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows at the Doctor’s comment~ do you think-

ALAN:

~Jack’s cut off abruptly as Alan speaks~ a trick.

DOCTOR:

I know we’re not free, because no one’s let free, no matter how little She actually needs them… Alan, do you _know_ it’s a trick?

ALAN:

If it’s not a trick, She’s tricking _me._ So yes. ~replies smoothly, standing firm in the doorway to the hallway~

GWEN:

~looks to the Doctor, reaching out to pull him towards the door~ let’s try bringing you out; we’ll come back if anything goes wrong.

DOCTOR:

~glances briefly at Jack before nodding with a respectful~ yes, ma’am. ~thinking he might be able to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, and deciding to believe wholeheartedly that they’ll be allowed to do what they want with no consequence for the time being—ridiculous dream logic. Walks out of the TARDIS~

GWEN:

~leads the Doctor out of the TARDIS~

JACK:

~follows after gleefully~

TARDIS:

~seems fine apart from a small despair at the Doctor having to leave~

ALAN:

~makes no move to follow them~

DOCTOR:

~pets the doorframe, looking to his son as he happily breathes in the stench of Earth’s surface~ you coming, Alan?

ALAN:

~looks at the Doctor coldly, but after a moment he grudgingly walks over to the Doctor~ yes, Daddy.

OWEN:

~is already walking off to HQ with Jack~

DOCTOR:

~takes Alan’s hand, concerned for his son, closing the door behind them before following Owen and Jack~

TARDIS:

~mentally waves them off~

ALAN:

~looks back to wave slightly in return despite not having a mental connection to her~

GWEN:

~smiles somewhat nervously and starts walking beside the two Timelords~

DOCTOR:

I’m sorry… ~glances at Gwen~ Jack’s not going to say it, but this is mostly my fault.

GWEN:

~doesn’t look over at the Doctor as she goes to follow Jack and Owen down the hidden lift into Torchwood HQ, responding~ we figured, seeing as he gave no notice when he went missing.

DOCTOR:

I only wanted to take my family out somewhere, like the old times when I’d carelessly fly from place to place, I wanted it so much I trusted GLaDOS’ word, and I got us all stuck in this… ~seems to suddenly realize something~ but I can fix it…

ALAN:

~can tell the Doctor’s thinking about trying to leave solo again; clings tightly to the Doctor’s arm as he utters those words, but does nothing more~

GWEN:

~looks at the Doctor sympathetically~ that’s horrible…

ENVIRONMENT:

~they head down into HQ by the lift, where Ianto steps out from a separate wing~

JACK:

~runs up to bear-hug him~

IANTO:

Jack! You’re here! ~comments in surprise~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly at the display, tears in his eyes as he can tell just how close the team is and he knows he tore them apart, glancing around to see if the Master’s somewhere in sight~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the Master doesn’t seem to be anywhere in the main room, but it looks like Ianto had come out of the holding cell area~

JACK:

~lets him go and gives him a brief kiss before looking around~ Toshiko anywhere?

OWEN:

~goes to answer~

DOCTOR:

~interjects~ and, not to stall this wonderful reunion, but I heard the Master may have been with you, Ianto?

IANTO:

~pries his eyes off Jack to acknowledge and respond to the Doctor~ yes, well, Jack told us he was to be kept in a holding cell, for his own safety, and he wasn’t exactly complaining so I thought-

DOCTOR:

Yeah, I understand. I do assume I’m authorized to take care of him now, though… he’s not much of a danger as is, though he may have the laser with him. I’m not surprised by his lack of resistance, though… ~walks around Jack and Ianto to the holding cells~

ENVIRONMENT:

~nobody opposes him as the Doctor walks through to the holding cells~

ALAN:

~still clings tightly to his arm~

MASTER:

~in one of the cells the Master is curled up in the far corner, holding the laser screwdriver between his knee and his forehead, nodding slightly for the sound of the spring as it contracts and detracts. Doesn’t look over at the Doctor when he walks up~

DOCTOR:

Master… ~goes to unlock the cell, managing to do so with one hand~ Master, I’m sorry…

MASTER:

~glances over at the Doctor when the door unlocks, speaking gently though his intentions are bitter~ be careful, you might scare your son if you bring him too close to me. ~looks downward again, a hand coming up to brush gently over the button on the laser that would probably kill him if he pressed it by sending a charge through his head~

DOCTOR:

He’s your son too and he can stay outside the cell if he’s so scared. I know you’re doing all you can for us, we can’t expect you to care about people you hardly know, let alone accept and love us as a family… I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that.

MASTER:

~experimentally messes with the dial on the screwdriver, almost thoughtfully, before snatching it away from his head and looking up at the Doctor with a small, forgiving smile~ it’s alright, Doctor.

ALAN:

~lets out a choked, desperate whisper~ don’t leave us, Daddy.

DOCTOR:

~smiles back at the Master, stopping mid-step towards the Master when he hears Alan, tears entering his eyes at his son’s tone~ Alan, you know all your Dad wants is to keep you and your Father safe…

MASTER:

~stands up, looking at the Doctor in confusion~ what does he mean?

ALAN:

~tightens his hold on the Doctor’s arm~ it’s stupid. We could _all_ be safe. I know…

DOCTOR:

~avoids telling the Master what’s going on~ I’m not abandoning the TARDIS, if that’s what you’re suggesting. She’s always been there for me and I intend to do the same for her.

ALAN:

Stop it! ~cries out angrily and shoves the Doctor’s arm away from him, turning and running back into the main room~

MASTER:

~walks up to the door and worriedly looks after Alan~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, leaving the Master’s cell door open as he pursues Alan at a walk, trusting that Torchwood won’t let his son run off and get into trouble~

MASTER:

~follows closely, pocketing his laser as they walk out into the hub~

JACK:

~is holding Alan by his wrists~

ALAN:

~the young Timelord struggles valiantly~ let me go!

JACK:

~looks up to the Doctor for his verdict~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head slightly and walks up to his son, crouching down to be at eye-level with Alan~ Alan, I love you, and I’m open to ideas if you have a plan that can save _every_ part of the family—Jack and the TARDIS included—but otherwise I need to try to fix what I messed up.

ALAN:

~goes to try to shove the Doctor, but Jack holds him fast; instead delivering a mental blow~ it’s stupid! She’s a liar and you’re just giving up! Daddy, don’t… ~starts to sob~

JACK:

~his grip falters, almost letting Alan squirm away before holding him again~

DOCTOR:

~tears escape his eyes as he snaps back~ can’t you see it’s the only option I have that has any potential of keeping you safe, Alan!? I can’t keep thinking that next time I see you it could be your corpse, I can’t lose everything _again._

MASTER:

~walks up behind the Doctor, grabbing his collar and forcing him to his feet. Turns him around and meets the Doctor’s gaze with a glare~ you’re not going off on your own. We’re sticking together and that’s final. ~wipes the Doctor’s tears away with his sleeve, using their physical contact to fix the link, his commanding stare not wavering once~

DOCTOR:

~chokes briefly but doesn’t complain, his own determination faltering though he still argues~ but I could fix things, Alan wouldn’t be in constant danger, Jack could stay with his crew, you wouldn’t have to live with GLaDOS always messing with your mind!

MASTER:

~with the same hand that wiped away the Doctor’s tears he strikes him across the face~ I said, that’s final!

JACK:

~scoops up the sobbing Alan~

GWEN:

~goes and separates the Doctor and the Master~ can we all just calm the hell down!?

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand to his face, his gaze locking onto the floor, only uttering a quiet~ yes, Master…

 


	22. Family Drama

JACK:

~hands Alan to Owen and goes over to the Doctor, pulling him away from the Master and leading him into an unoccupied room before speaking softly~ hey, you okay? ~gently tries to check if the Doctor’s cheek is bruising~

OWEN:

~a little lost, takes Alan, not really knowing what to do with the child~

DOCTOR:

~removes his hand from his cheek which is bruising~ don’t worry about it; I’m more than familiar with the amount of force the Master can put into a hit.

JACK:

~looks concerned~ you know, that’s generally not a good thing to be familiar with. ~leads the Doctor over to a chair and gestures for him to sit~ let’s just relax, and forget about Aperture for now. Okay?

DOCTOR:

~sits in the chair easily~ alright… and yeah, I know, I can’t change what I’m familiar with, though. He doesn’t usually do that without the drums…

JACK:

~heads towards the door to the room~ alright, just stay put, I’ll deal with the others. ~opens the door, pausing to look back at the Doctor~ you still want to scan Alan with that device?

DOCTOR:

~looks at the device thoughtfully before replying~ yes but not right now; he’s been upset enough for the time being.

JACK:

~nods in understanding, leaving the room to retrieve Alan from Owen’s arms~

MENTAL:

~the Master’s presence sits in the Doctor’s mind, neither comforting nor particularly active~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the floor, his mind naturally open to the other Timelord as he thinks through the Valiant dream~

MASTER:

~pushes away the Doctor’s recollections from his own view, seeming to have softened a bit in the past minute or so, gently apologizing to the Doctor for his actions~

DOCTOR:

~easily accepts the apology, smiling a little as just the link’s presence makes him feel a little better about things; a little less alone~

MASTER:

~also seems more comfortable with the link then he was just after the memory wipe, offering his comfort to the Doctor~

JACK:

~reenters the room~

ALAN:

~a calmer-looking Alan walks in after him~

JACK:

No Aperture, alright?

ALAN:

~looks up at Jack and nods~

DOCTOR:

~still smiling, looks up from the floor at Alan~ hey, Alan… sorry about all that… I won’t leave you and your Father—and Jack—I promise. ~wondering if his son can feel the Master’s telepathic presence~

ALAN:

~sniffles quietly and comes up to hug the Doctor~ is it because Father hit you? ~asks softly~

DOCTOR:

~flinches slightly, his collar having never felt so uncomfortable, giving a half-truth he thinks of on the spot~ n-no, ~brings his arms around Alan~ seeing how you both reacted… I saw I wouldn’t be doing you a favor—I’d be leaving you without a dad and the Master without a-… whatever I am to him. He apologized, he reestablished our mental link and apologized, so that’s good…

ALAN:

~sighs slightly~ Daddy… ~decidedly doesn’t bring up the fact that he knows the Doctor’s keeping facts from him, simply hugging him~

JACK:

~looks at the Doctor sympathetically~ the Master’s out here, but I recommend waiting a little longer for things to die down. I don’t want you getting hurt again.

DOCTOR:

~shrugs~ we’re already talking to each other, but whatever you say, Captain Jack.

JACK:

So you said. ~sighs lightly, forcing a smile and walking out into the main room and leaving the door open~ I’ll have the crew scan the TARDIS to see if anything’s illegitimate. Is that okay?

DOCTOR:

~nods, seeing nothing wrong with the idea~ sure thing. I just hope she’ll let herself be properly scanned…

JACK:

~nods in solemn agreement~ me too. ~walks off to talk to his crew, not closing the door~

DOCTOR:

~looks down at his son, enjoying the Master’s comforting mental presence but knowing what Alan saw~ Alan, your father really does mean well…

ALAN:

~lets go of the Doctor and looks at him~ It’s okay, I know he does. ~looks behind them at the open door~ does Jack know yet?

DOCTOR:

In short, no. He has next to no reason to trust the Master and a lot of reasons not to, I think that if I tried to tell him he’d just argue with me… ~lowers his voice to a mischievous whisper~ besides, I do believe he’s a bit jealous of the Master.

ALAN:

~laughs, though it’s not at the Doctor’s mischievous comment~ no, Daddy; does he know that the TARDIS is off limits?

JACK:

~runs back to the door as soon as Alan finishes speaking~ Doctor, there’s something a bit off.

DOCTOR:

~confused by Alan’s statement, nods, standing~ I agree… ~looks at Alan questioningly~ off limits?

ALAN:

~pouts and shakes his head slowly in mock disappointment~ no talking, no travel, no bedrooms. No TARDIS.

JACK:

~looks at Alan and furrows his eyebrows~ you’re saying we can’t go in the TARDIS?

DOCTR:

~looks disbelieving~ sure, that makes no travel make sense, but no talking? No bedrooms?

ALAN:

~explains patiently~ there are bedrooms in the TARDIS, Daddy. We can’t use them. And we can’t talk to her either. GLaDOS won’t let us.

DOCTOR:

What in Hell is the purpose of that? Unless She has cameras here, that gives Her a _disadvantage._ We have access to a lot right now as long as this is real…

ALAN:

Cameras… ~looks up and around the room, seeming mesmerized by the ceiling all of a sudden~

DOCTOR:

~can’t help but grimace slightly~ Her cameras… in Torchwood? That doesn’t even make sense, we’re an ocean away… but She does seem to communicate to one of us—I don’t doubt it’d work both ways.

ALAN:

~turns his gaze to the Doctor, somewhat accusing~ are you calling me a camera, Daddy?

JACK:

~looks more than put off at the Doctor’s suggestion about cameras in Torchwood~

DOCTOR:

~responds easily~ I’m saying She could be getting information from you. Though she could be doing so from any of us, you’d gather the most data.

ALAN:

~shrugs slightly~ fair enough. ~casually walks past Jack and out of the room, and is able to get past unopposed as Jack hadn’t been expecting it~

JACK:

Well, look who’s got somewhere to be. ~turns to the Doctor and gives him a sly wink~ I don’t have somewhere to be, mind you.

DOCTOR:

Don’t you think we have more important things to worry about, Jack? The TARDIS, potential cameras, potential upper-hand… the fact that I have a family and you’re still trying to make a pass at me?

JACK:

~casually shrugs~ I can’t help it, you’re one of my oldest erotic fantasies. ~gestures back at the room behind him to indicate the Master~ and I mean, I’m cool with a threeway.

ALAN:

~backtracks to look into the room the Doctor’s in, eyes wide~ how does _that_ work?

DOCTOR:

~chuckles almost nervously~ Alan, for the first time in your life I’m going to say I’ll tell you when you’re older. Although, if you hand around Jack long enough, you’ll probably figure it out, given your level of telepathic ability.

ALAN:

~pouts indignantly at the Doctor’s lack of an explanation, walking off~

JACK:

~gives a small awkward wave~ I’m going to find Ianto. ~walks away from the door with a hint of red in his cheeks~

DOCTOR:

You do that… ~stands in the room, hoping the Master can’t tell how flustered he’s gotten over the course of this conversation, pacing a bit before leaving in order to not seem like he’s following Jack, looking for the Master~

MASTER:

~is sitting beside a table with various alien gear spread across it, his head in his arms~

GWEN:

~is working on something nearby~

MASTER:

~lifts his head and looks at the Doctor when he approaches~ Hallo.

DOCTOR:

~responds a little awkwardly~ hey; I’m not going to try to fly solo, if you didn’t catch that…

MASTER:

~sits up, looking concerned~ yeah, I got that much… is something wrong? I mean, Jack seemed a bit nervous when he left the room…

DOCTOR:

Uh… we have reason to think GLaDOS doesn’t want us in the TARDIS. ~knows how horribly he’s delivered his cover story, simply hoping the Master won’t push the subject now~

MASTER:

Jack already told me that. I don’t think that’s the issue… ~furrows his eyebrows in growing concern~ is Alan okay?

DOCTOR:

Alan’s fine, just- ~sighs, glancing briefly at Gwen before mentally explaining the conversation that had occurred apparently within earshot of Alan~

MASTER:

~laughs out loud after a moment, taking a while to compose himself enough to reply mentally “seems Jack’s got a thing for you—I just might get protective of someone I don’t even remember being close to!” With that he starts pondering the issue again, bringing up that he might have a solution but he’ll tell the Doctor later~

DOCTOR:

~nods and mentally responds with the fact that he has always been fully aware of Jack’s… “fascination” with him, glad that the Master took the information so well~

MASTER:

So what’s this about the TARDIS being inaccessible? ~dismisses the topic but mentally entertains the possibility~

DOCTOR:

~shrugs~ honestly, the best source of information here is probably Alan—we could always go out there and test the theory without actually going in the TARDIS—if Alan’s right, I shouldn’t be able to talk to her.

MASTER:

~stands up, glancing at Gwen before looking back to the Doctor~ it should be alright to just pop outside for a minute to check.

DOCTOR:

Alright, sounds like a plan to me. ~starts towards the front door at a walk~ as much of a plan as I ever have…

MASTER:

~follows the Doctor at a distance, seeming distrusting of himself~ it doesn’t make sense…

DOCTOR:

What doesn’t make sense? ~speaks as if there are a lot of things that don’t make sense and he simply wants to know which one the Master’s referring to~

MASTER:

The TARDIS, being blocked off. ~follows the Doctor into the elevator that leads up to the disguised entrance to Torchwood~

DOCTOR:

~responds once the elevator starts going up~ I agree. Then I made the point “unless there are cameras in Torchwood”. Also, funny thing, Alan articulated specifically that this does block off the bedrooms. I wonder if our robotic perv has been reading Jack’s mind.

MASTER:

~chuckles somewhat nervously~ or maybe the kid just wants to sleep in his own bed for once. ~adds with a little sigh~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator arrives in the fake lobby~

IANTO:

~sits behind his desk, buttoning up his shirt~

DOCTOR:

~smirks slightly when he notices the state Ianto’s in, simply waving slightly to the man before speaking to the Master again~ He’s slept in his own bed before… which reminds me, we do have a house if we can get to London; though that does seem a little unnecessary at the moment, I thought you should know.

MASTER:

~his eyes widen slightly~ a house? ~walking out through the front door and starting to head around to where the rift is~ how would we pay for a house?

DOCTOR:

~walks along with the Master~ well, more of a rented flat—I have my ways of getting money on Earth but we thought we were free… we _were_ free, we could give Alan a proper childhood, a proper home; we talked about actually legally getting some income… not quite Gallifreyan, but certainly better than this.

MASTER:

~frowns slightly, glancing up at the darkening sky~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they attract multiple stares for their bright orange clothing~

MASTER:

Why aren’t we free anymore? Why can’t we have that again?

DOCTOR:

~answers in a bitter tone~ because I messed up… why do you think I wanted so much to go alone into that scientific hell? It’s _my_ fault we’re all stuck in it.

MASTER:

~stops in front of the TARDIS, looking up at her and trying the door, which is locked~ what if we just shut down the TARDIS like we did before? We weren’t intending on traveling much anyway if we were going to settle down… and that way She has no way to reach us, and we’re all—technically—alive and safe.

DOCTOR:

I can’t do that to the TARDIS… ~tries to mentally contact the TARDIS~ she’s _always_ been there, it’d be cruel betrayal to just… shut her down and leave her to rust.

TARDIS:

~the old ship is unresponsive to the Doctor’s prompting~

MASTER:

Would you prefer all three of us to be tormented by GLaDOS indefinitely? ~pauses~ Jack too.

DOCTOR:

~responds in an increasingly frustrated tone~ you _could_ just let me go with her; what skin is it off your back, you can’t even remember what I was to you.

MASTER:

Alan would not take it well. I have no experience as a parent. You’d be leaving us to fend for ourselves. ~turns to face the Doctor, calm and soothing~ hush, now. I might know how to fix the memories. ~offers his hand for the Doctor to take~

DOCTOR:

~takes the Master’s hand, mumbling under his breath~ better to fend for yourself here than there… ~mostly defused by the Master’s tone and actions~

MASTER:

~holds the Doctor’s hand aloft and leads him back the way they came, his other hand behind his back in a gentlemanly fashion~ again, taking the TARDIS out of the equation would fix the situation—we could probably rig something so she’s still telepathically active, but no decisions need to be made right now.

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly at the Master’s gesture but it quickly fades at the Master’s statement~ I wouldn’t leave you in a coma if it freed us all either. Nor would I do so to Jack or Alan.

MASTER:

~sighs lightly~ do not worry, dearest, if you don’t want the TARDIS shut down, she’ll not be shut down. ~walks back to the storefront that masks the Torchwood HQ entrance, mentally informing the Doctor that he wants to find someplace a little more private~

DOCTOR:

~responds with the fact that he doubts they’ll find somewhere private in Torchwood, trying to think of somewhere else they could go that’s nearby but not having much luck beyond around the backs of buildings or in bathrooms—or on roofs, if one can climb to them~

MASTER:

~glances up at the roof above the storefront, shrugging and altering his course slightly to head towards a trash bin that provides a good leg-up onto the roof, which he lets go of the Doctor’s hand in order to scale~

DOCTOR:

~easily climbs up after the Master, liking the feeling of climbing something that wasn’t meant to be scaled~

MASTER:

~smiles slightly at the Doctor’s thoughts, carefully walking out onto the roof and sitting down near the peak. Looks out at the sun that’s bound to set in at most an hour~

DOCTOR:

~sits next to the Master, looking out at the scenery and smiling at the beauty of it all, paying as much attention to the people as he does the sunset~

MASTER:

~watches the sky in silence for a while, bringing an arm behind the Doctor and around to his side as he turns suddenly to look at his fellow Timelord~ give me your memories.

DOCTOR:

~closes his eyes to focus mentally on giving the Master the information, going through the simpler things first, the progression from friends to a bit more, the year that never was… careful all the while to do this more gradually as he gets to the memories that hold strong emotions, subconsciously leaning a bit towards the Master~

MASTER:

~drifts forward until their foreheads are lightly touching despite the contact being unnecessary, carefully absorbing all of the information he’s being given and trying to get himself to comprehend that all of the memories are from the Doctor’s perspective, and not his own~

DOCTOR:

~gradually goes through just about everything except for the dreams—they never happened, so putting the Master through them would be unnecessary. Almost cries at certain points but keeps himself mostly composed, trying to give whatever thoughts and feelings he knows of the Master’s as well~

MASTER:

~gently brings a hand to the Doctor’s cheek, masking his own difficulty when retaining the memories so as to keep a calm composure. Opens his eyes, murmuring~ thank you. ~and leaning forward to gently kiss the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~happily kisses the Master back, hoping his fixes things at least a little between them, not knowing why the Master is thanking him as he’s pretty sure this is to his benefit as well~

MASTER:

~starts to pull the Doctor deeper into the kiss~

ENVIRONMENT:

~someone calls out from below~ hello up there! Sorry to interrupt but someone was looking for you.

MASTER:

~turns to look down at Jack and Alan~

JACK:

~looks up at the two of them with a slight smile~

DOCTOR:

~smiles, sliding down to perch at the edge of the roof, careful not to fall off~ yes? We—initially—just went to check and make sure our assumptions about the TARDIS were correct… which they are.

ALAN:

~walks closer to where the Doctor sits~ I just didn’t know where you went… I got scared. ~peers around to look at the Master, who’s still sitting where he initially was~ so Father’s better now?

DOCTOR:

~smiles softly at Alan~ your Father knows more of what happened now, but he couldn’t remember for himself, so he knows what happened from my perspective.

MASTER:

~carefully slides down to be beside the Doctor, bringing an arm around the Doctor’s waist affectionately~ it’s not ideal, but I at least know what I was missing out on before.

ALAN:

~smiles, seeming amused~ why’re you up on a roof?

DOCTOR:

~leans into the Master happily, careful not to push the other Timelord enough to upset his balance~ well—no offense to you or your establishment, Jack—but it’s not like we’d get any privacy in Torchwood, so we went onto the roof.

JACK:

~gives a small dismissive scoff~ no worries, it’s fine. The crew’ll be heading off in an hour or so; it’ll be more private then… ~looks mildly concerned, adding somewhat hesitantly~ we… _are_ staying… right?

DOCTOR:

Yes. ~nods, assuming Torchwood is Jack’s home~ with no TARDIS, there’s no way to go anywhere quickly; besides, there’s hardly anywhere else in Cardiff to go.

JACK:

~smiles, hiding his relief~ alright then. Need any help getting down, or are you two still busy?

DOCTOR:

I’m pretty sure the answer’s neither… it wasn’t too hard to climb up here. ~looks to where the trash can was~

MASTER:

~carefully stands up, stepping down onto the trash bin and holding his hand out politely for the Doctor to help him down~

GWEN:

~passes them by on her way out, waving to Jack~ hey, try not to go AWOL again, alright?

JACK:

~turns to look at her, giving a small reassuring smile~ I’ll leave a note if I have to leave.

DOCTOR:

~stands and accepts the Master’s assistance without hesitance, waving slightly to Gwen once he gets down, starting towards Jack and Alan~

ALAN:

~walks up to the both of them and draws them into a group hug, seeming contented for the moment~

JACK:

~smiles politely, standing and looking at the small family~

DOCTOR:

~hugs Alan and the Master happily, just focusing on what he has, looking at Jack after a short moment and glancing briefly back at his Timelord family, as if to state that he’s welcome to be part of it~

JACK:

~his smile grows into a grin as he notices the gesture, spreading his arms and coming over to add himself onto the group hug~

MASTER:

~doesn’t seem to mind his presence either~

ALAN:

~giggles to himself~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at his family, bringing his arm that had been around Alan around Jack in acceptance to his joining the hug~

JACK:

~closes his eyes and sighs contentedly~ thanks, guys. ~leaves the hug after a moment~

ALAN:

~breaks away as well~

MASTER:

~reaches over to take the Doctor’s hand~

JACK:

~speaks again~ let’s head back, it’ll be dark soon. ~gestures for Alan to follow as he walks up to the store entrance~

IANTO:

~still sits behind his desk if not now a bit more professionally~

DOCTOR:

~holds the Master’s hand, following Jack and Alan, contented with their situation but still worried for the TARDIS—he’s certain everyone here’s smart enough to figure out what the Master had said; leaving the TARDIS might be their only way out, but he refuses to do so~

JACK:

~smiles and waves at Ianto as they pass his desk, stopping a moment to ask~ how late can you stay tonight?

IANTO:

~looks through something on his desk as he responds~ I’ll be staying later than usual, working on logistics… need me for something?

JACK:

~chuckles lightly and pats the desk on his way to follow the Timelords~ I’ll tell you if I do.

DOCTOR:

~becomes a bit curious as to what Jack means but doesn’t bring it up, knowing Ianto and him are quite close~

JACK:

~leads them into the elevator~

ALAN:

~curls himself into the far corner and stares at the wall, wide-eyed and shaky~

MASTER:

~looks over at the small Timelord in worry~ Alan? What’s wrong?

DOCTOR:

~looks at Alan in deep concern as well, pleasantly surprised by the fact that the Master asked about his well-being first~

OWEN:

~when they get down to Torchwood, Owen’s on his way from the table of gadgets to the elevator~

JACK:

~glances at Alan sympathetically to acknowledge the problem before stepping out of the elevator to clap Owen on the back~ getting ready to leave?

ALAN:

~simply glances up at the Doctor and the Master, looking upset but substantially tired as well~

OWEN:

~nods~ yeah, boss, just checked over the equipment.

DOCTOR:

~sighs but smiles slightly~ why don’t we get you some sleep? I promise I’ll wake you up if anything happens.

JACK:

Good job. See you tomorrow maybe. ~waves to Owen, his concern returning to his expression when he looks into the elevator~

ALAN:

~nods and stands up, looking to Owen and speaking plainly to him before exiting the elevator~ don’t do that, you’ll get killed.

OWEN:

~stops in his tracks, taken off-guard~

DOCTOR:

~looks at Alan uneasily, stepping out of the elevator~ Alan… do you _know_ that will happen to Owen if he should leave? You didn’t say that to Gwen or Ianto…

ALAN:

~looks back at the Doctor with an innocent stare~ he can leave if he wants to. All I did was give advice based on what I heard them say. ~looks back up at Owen, raising his eyebrows and shaking his head~

DOCTOR:

~bites his lip~ well, you’ve been pretty accurate so far… Jack? He’s part of your crew, this is really you’re and his call.

OWEN:

~looks to Jack in a sort of “help me out” as he’s piecing things together a bit slowly~

JACK:

~looks back at Owen, concerned and sympathetic~ I’m not sure what we’re even calling… it makes no sense for Owen to be in danger based on what we said-

ALAN:

~interrupts him strongly~ not _you._

MASTER:

~watching the exchange, hesitantly steps out of the elevator to speak softly to Alan~ then who?

OWEN:

~just throws his hands up slightly, giving up on trying to figure this out and waiting for someone to say something that makes sense~

ALAN:

~blinks slowly, looking over at the Master and yawning before being able to reply~ the people… ~feels his tired eyes start to close~

DOCTOR:

~smiles a concerned smile, scooping Alan up into his arms~ let’s get you some sleep… ~looks to Jack and Owen~ I think Owen will be fine leaving.

OWEN:

~just shrugs and starts towards the elevator again~ G’night, boss…?

JACK:

Night, Owen. Be careful. ~gives his little two-fingered salute, looking back at Alan and smiling slightly~

ALAN:

~relaxes in the Doctor’s arms, letting his eyes close wearily~

JACK:

Was that sleepy nonsense or a real warning? ~he asks gently, not wanting to disturb Alan~

DOCTOR:

~matches Jack’s tone~ I think it has the literal substance of a prophecy; clearly it’s not a danger to any real person right now, so it’s probably best not to worry about it for now…

JACK:

~looks at the little half-asleep Timelord in the Doctor’s arms for a moment longer before starting to head in a particular direction~ so, place to sleep… he can take my room again, if that’s alright.

DOCTOR:

As long as it’s alright with _you._ ~follows Jack, carrying Alan~ I’m not even sure if any of the rest of us need to sleep tonight…

JACK:

Probably not. ~pauses next to a set of stairs to look back in the Doctor’s direction, offering his arms~ I can take Alan up, so you and the Master can have some time alone. ~does a decent job of avoiding sounding jealous~

DOCTOR:

~smiles and hands Alan over~ thanks… ~hesitates slightly before adding~ Although, I don’t think I’d mind you so much—no offense to your crew, I just know you better.

JACK:

~gently holds Alan close to himself, smiling~ I’ll check in on you guys, then. ~nods, turning to head up the stairs with Alan~

ALAN:

~has already fallen asleep by now~

DOCTOR:

~turns and walks back to the Master, stating once he gets there~ Jack’s taking Alan up to the room.

MASTER:

I know that, I’m not deaf… ~responds half-heartedly, staring at his feet as he curls his toes around a small dead leaf~

DOCTOR:

~shrugs slightly, ignoring the Master’s comment~ something bothering you?

MASTER:

~responds breathlessly~ yes. ~looks up at the Doctor expectantly, his cheeks turning a rosy color as he continues to shift his feet~

DOCTOR:

~his concerned smile turns to a flirtatious smirk, bringing one hand to the Master’s side and the other to his cheek~ then what?

MASTER:

~gasps daintily at the Doctor’s touch, grabbing his face and kissing him with wild passion for a few moments before breaking off to reply~ I want you. ~immediately continues the kiss, pressing his body against the Doctor’s~

DOCTOR:

~lets the hand he had on the Master’s cheek slide down to his neck, his other arm wrapping around the Master’s waist as he kisses the Master back~

MASTER:

~hums into the Doctor’s mouth, mentally submitting himself to the Doctor’s will as his hands slide down to hold the other Timelord’s hips, shuddering with arousal~

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand down to gently grope the Master, breaking the kiss and hungrily kissing his way down the Master’s neck~

MASTER:

~tilts his head back, letting out a strained whine as his muscles twitch responsively~ Thet-ah… ~mentally warns him that Toshiko and Ianto are presumably still here and they’re out in the most public part of the hub right now~

DOCTOR:

~sighs lightly, hesitantly stepping away from the Master~ then come on… ~taking the Master’s hand in his and striding in the first direction he can think of—towards the room Jack had led him to to make sure he was okay, figuring nobody has reason to walk into there~

MASTER:

~follows the Doctor easily, stepping into the room and gently pulling the door closed with his other hand as he moves himself close to the Doctor again, kissing him~

DOCTOR:

~rests one hand on the Master’s side while the other moves to unzip the Master’s jumpsuit, sliding his tongue into the other Timelord’s mouth~

MASTER:

~shudders responsively as he moves his tongue to slide under the Doctor’s, guiding him backwards toward the chair where he sits the Doctor down, breaking the kiss only briefly as he steps over the Doctor’s legs and sits down to be between them~

DOCTOR:

~easily lets the Master guide him, humming lightly as he finishes unzipping the jumpsuit and brings his hands to travel the Master’s torso~

MASTER:

~slips his arms out of the sleeves of his jumpsuit, humming as he rolls his hips against the Doctor and breaks the kiss, unzipping the Doctor’s jumpsuit; is startled when there’s a knock on the door~

JACK:

~slowly opens it to peer in~ how’s—

DOCTOR:

~looks up at Jack, his face flushed bright red, having forgotten Jack saying he’d check up on them~ uh—hi, Jack…

JACK:

Hey, there was a party and nobody invited me? ~comments with a joking tone, shaking his head to dismiss himself and starting to back out~ I’ll go; have fun.

MASTER:

~drapes an arm over the Doctor’s shoulders, looking back at Jack with a knowing smirk and mentally suggesting to the Doctor that maybe Jack deserves some sympathy~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly in agreement, speaking in mock distress~ oh but Jack, you suggested it. Why would you leave now?

JACK:

~looks at the Doctor like he doesn’t understand what’s happened to the Timelord, stepping hesitantly into the room~ I’m…

MASTER:

~dismounts from the Doctor, walking back to Jack and taking his hand to lead him back over~ do join us.

JACK:

~follows and looks like he thinks he must be dreaming~ seriously? ~grins~

DOCTOR:

~nods, standing up~ yes, seriously. ~smiles at Jack’s response to being invited over, adding in a joking tone~ welcome to the party, Jack.

MASTER:

~spins Jack around and pushes him up to the Doctor, sandwiching him between the two Timelords. Brings his hands to Jack’s hips and nibbles on his earlobe~

JACK:

~the human remains in excited shock as he looks up at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~kisses Jack passionately, not holding back any more than he would with the Master, bringing a hand to unzip Jack’s jumpsuit~

JACK:

~the Doctor can feel how warm Jack’s face starts to get as he blushes profusely, his hands hesitantly coming up to the Doctor’s chest but once he’s there he kisses back and lets his hands lightly explore the Doctor’s skin more naturally~

MASTER:

~his amusement is clear through the link~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly around the kiss, sliding his arms out of his own jumpsuit then bringing his hands to wander under Jack’s~

MASTER:

~pulls Jack’s arms out of his sleeves and pushes the jumpsuit down past his hips, groping him intimately as he kisses at the human’s neck~

JACK:

~falters and pulls himself away from the kiss~ are you doing this because you feel sorry for me? ~speaks softly~ I mean, not that I’m complaining- ~hums at the Master’s actions~

DOCTOR:

~smiles sympathetically, speaking in a soft tone~ While I can’t speak for the Master, if I was going to do this purely out of pity for you, it would’ve happened a lot sooner.

MASTER:

~pushes a finger inside of Jack~

JACK:

~his back arches against the Doctor and he cries out~ fuck- ~panting, glances back at the Master~ do you guys not need lube or something!?

DOCTOR:

~fails to hold back a grin at Jack’s response~ besides the fact that neither of us have any reason to know where that is, no, we don’t. ~reaches around to the Master to lightly stroke his length~ but by all means, tell us where it is… for your sake.

MASTER:

~rocks his hips into the Doctor’s hand, letting out a heavy breath~

JACK:

~replies~ there should be some… in the drawer behind that desk. ~gestures at a desk in the corner that obviously isn’t really being used by anyone~

DOCTOR:

~takes his hand away from the Master and steps back, nodding and walking back behind the desk to get the lubricant, bringing it over to the Master when he does~

MASTER:

~steps out of his jumpsuit while the Doctor’s busy, pushing Jack over towards the desk and letting him go for a moment to take the bottle the Doctor hands him~

JACK:

~takes the opportunity to turn around and grab the Master’s hips, spinning him, then firmly holding him in the swapped position~

MASTER:

~his breath hitches in surprise~

JACK:

~chuckles~

DOCTOR:

~walks around in front of the Master, suppressing a chuckle himself~ God, Master, I must’ve spoiled you for you to make such a mistake. ~kisses the Master, knowing Jack is probably figuring out rather quickly just how submissive he is~

MASTER:

~squirms slightly without any real strength behind his movements~

JACK:

~takes the lube out of the Master’s hand, grinning victoriously with his arm still firmly locked around the Master’s waist~

DOCTOR:

~brings his hand to the Master’s length, fondling it as he kisses at the Master’s collarbone~

MASTER:

~once his mouth is free, he gasps in pleasure, managing to speak after a moment with worry in his voice~ s-spoiled?

JACK:

~opens the bottle with one hand and squeezes some onto his fingers~

MASTER:

~this causes him to flinch~

DOCTOR:

~tilts his head up to speak softly to the Master, his tone comforting along with his mental presence~ shh… it’s alright, Master, I was only teasing.

MASTER:

~brings his arms up around to grip the Doctor’s back, relaxing but still squeaking when Jack pushes a few fingers inside of him~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles, starting to kiss hungrily down the Master’s chest as he can’t make himself remain composed—besides, there would be no fun in that~

MASTER:

~his back arches upward and he pants noisily, whining~

JACK:

~works to loosen him up~

DOCTOR:

Damn Master, I forgot how not used to this you were… ~kisses down the Master’s abdomen now, a bit slower, bringing a hand to his own length to try to temporarily satisfy his own arousal~

MASTER:

~allows himself a small chuckle~ well whose fault is that? ~brings his hands to brush through the Doctor’s hair and bucks his hips slightly as Jack pushes inside of him, suddenly discomforted about this interaction happening with a human~

DOCTOR:

~frowns slightly, standing to his full height and leaning over the Master’s shoulder to touch foreheads with Jack and explain the situation as casually as possible, offering to switch with the Master~ honestly, Master, no communication skills.

MASTER:

~pouts, pushing the Doctor back~ I don’t need you to advocate for me.

JACK:

~backs off politely despite the Master’s actions, giving a small smirk~ sure, we can switch up. ~sets the bottle on the desk and takes hold of the Doctor’s shoulder, turning him around. Backs the Doctor up to the desk and has him lie down, grinning~ this better?

DOCTOR:

~mentally responds to the Master with “you certainly weren’t advocating for yourself”, compliantly following Jack’s guidance and nodding in response to his question, smirking at the human challengingly~

JACK:

~stands between the Doctor’s legs, getting his fingers wet with the lubricant again as he leans down to take the Doctor’s length into his mouth~

MASTER:

~smirks at the Doctor’s situation and comes around to the other side of the table, behind the Doctor’s head~

DOCTOR:

~hums in pleasure, noticing the Master’s expression but not minding it, his hips twitching involuntarily though he keeps himself mostly still~

JACK:

~massages the Doctor’s entrance with his slick fingers as he bobs his head~

MASTER:

~brings a hand to the Doctor’s face, gently tilting his head back to meet the other Timelord’s gaze as he taunts softly~ don’t forget to speak, Puppet.

DOCTOR:

~groans, his back arching downward responsively, it clearly taking a considerable amount of effort to give the Master a breathless response~ right… yes, Master…

JACK:

~comes off of the Doctor’s length, stroking him with his hands as he pushes inside of the Timelord with a small grin~ so, I heard something about your necks being sensitive…

MASTER:

~brings a hand to grip the Doctor’s hair, forcing his head to remain tilted back~

DOCTOR:

~panting, answers~ isn’t that—ngh—true about most species…? ~his eyes closing~

JACK:

~starts rocking in and out of the Doctor, his hands moving slowly around the Doctor’s length~

MASTER:

~pushes his fingers into the Doctor’s mouth, holding his jaw open and chuckling~

DOCTOR:

~gives a strained whine, his hands idly gripping the edge of the table as his tongue subconsciously moves to taste the Master’s finger, retreating once he realizes what he’s doing~

MASTER:

~grins and pushes himself into the Doctor’s mouth, removing his fingers in order to do so and holding the Doctor’s head in place as he pauses once the Doctor’s taken all of him in~

DOCTOR:

~easily takes the Master in his mouth, his tongue massaging the Master’s length, shuddering~

MASTER:

~starts to roll his hips~

JACK:

~reaches up to the Master’s face, pulling him into a kiss~

MASTER:

~this seems more acceptable to him~

DOCTOR:

~sucks on the Master’s length humming lightly~

MASTER:

~brings a hand to the Doctor’s length to replace the one Jack removed, kissing Jack as the both of them start to increase their pace~

DOCTOR:

~gives a slightly high-pitched moan, his knuckles going white where he grips the table’s edge~

MASTER:

~breaks the kiss with Jack, grinning at the Doctor’s noises and pulling out of his mouth to allow him to catch his breath, while his hand circles over the tip of the Doctor’s length~

DOCTOR:

~pants loudly, careful not to tilt his head back down for fear of the Master seeing it as rebellion~

MASTER:

~brushes his other palm up the Doctor’s exposed neck, cutting off the Doctor’s panting as he enters his mouth again~

JACK:

~his thrusts grow quicker and he pants lightly as he approaches his release~

DOCTOR:

~whimpers in overstimulation, his hips rolling slightly in sync with Jack’s thrusts~

JACK:

~pulls out of the Doctor before reaching climax, getting his come mostly on the Doctor’s stomach and some on the desk~

MASTER:

~is not nearly as kind, thrusting himself to the back of the Doctor’s throat as he comes, leaning over to lick away Jack’s mess while still working with his hands~

DOCTOR:

~chokes on the Master’s semen but manages to swallow it all down before he comes to with a deep moan~

MASTER:

~continues to lick the Doctor’s stomach, seeming teasingly annoyed as the Doctor adds to his workload~

JACK:

~panting half out of aftershock and half out of the energy he just spent, takes the bottle of lube and slides it back into its drawer~

DOCTOR:

~his throat contracts in order to breathe, gasping around the Master’s length though he doesn’t move away or protest~

MASTER:

~chuckles at the Doctor’s actions, making sure he’s all cleaned up before carefully pulling himself out of the Doctor’s mouth~

JACK:

~looks at the various orange jumpsuits, giving a small chuckle~ hey, anybody remember which jumpsuit’s theirs?

DOCTOR:

~gets up once he can~ besides size difference, it shouldn’t really matter… ~picks up the nearest jumpsuit and sniffs it to determine its owner~

MASTER:

~gives the Doctor a playful sidelong glance as he takes the jumpsuit from the Doctor, once he gets the information from the link that it’s his~ size difference, eh? So judgmental.

DOCTOR:

~picks up the next closest one, smelling it as he responds~ you know what I meant, Master, along with the fact that I don’t care what size people are.

MASTER:

~rolls his eyes slightly as he steps into his jumpsuit and zips it up~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the one the Doctor’s smelling turns out to be his own~

DOCTOR:

~puts his on and zips it, casually checking his pocket to be sure the knife is still there~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the blood-encrusted knife gently pokes the Doctor’s hand when he goes checking for it~

JACK:

~goes over to the remaining jumpsuit to pick it up and slip into it~

DOCTOR:

~thinks for a moment before pulling the knife out of his pocket and setting it on the desk~ it might be best if I don’t carry this around, all things considered.

MASTER:

~flinches slightly at the sight of the knife~

JACK:

~gives it a brief glance and a nod as he zips up his jumpsuit. Pats his pockets casually~ okay, well that was fun, I enjoyed it; but what are we going to do now? Do we have a plan?

DOCTOR:

That’s next, I suppose… we have an immense amount of resources here, we just might be able to get the upper hand… ~looks down at the floor in worried thought—why would She do this… there has to be a catch…~

JACK:

I can try and run a few scans to see if anything’s being messed with while you can’t communicate with her… you double checked on what Alan said, right? ~starts toward the door~

DOCTOR:

Yeah; that wasn’t just a cover story. Torchwood has advanced communications, though… I’m not usually one to call for help, but I’d say this is probably the best time to do so.

JACK:

~goes to open the door, his hand stopping when he touches the handle and looking over at the Doctor in surprise~ you’re willing to ask someone to help you- ~glances downward briefly, correcting himself~ us—get out of this?

DOCTOR:

I’m willing to do just about anything to get us out of this if I’m being honest… with the exception of anything that would destroy the human inhabitants of that area, of course.

JACK:

~opens the door and walks out into the hub~

MASTER:

~follows Jack, seeming a bit perplexed as well, asking mentally “but not shutting down the TARDIS?”~

JACK:

~asks~ so, you mean, I could call up UNIT and have them start planning an attack on the place.

DOCTOR:

~gives the Master a harsh look, following behind them both~ I will not sacrifice _any_ part of the family for the sake of the rest, nor do I think putting more humans near GLaDOS is a good idea; they’d be cannon fodder to Her. I do, however, have allies that probably could get in and be more than foreign enough that She wouldn’t want to kill them.

JACK:

~walks up to one of the computers in the room, typing something into it as he speaks~ alright. Feel free to use the communication systems we have… I’ll run the scan.

MASTER:

~quietly falls back to follow the Doctor, making himself disregard his notion about shutting down the TARDIS entirely~

DOCTOR:

~goes to a separate computer—knowing his way around Torchwood by now—to set up a cloaked message, thinking through the races he knows that owe him a favor~

MASTER:

~follows the Doctor and looks over his shoulder to see what he’s doing~

TARDIS:

~suddenly seems to wake up, in a state of shock~

DOCTOR:

~looks up in surprise, stopping in the middle of his task~ the TARDIS is back… what do your scans say, Jack?

JACK:

~glances back at the Doctor as he clicks through a few things~ already? Well… the TARDIS isn’t equipped with anything dangerous… but that could mean anything really… ~immediately looks up as a scream echoes from somewhere upstairs~

DOCTOR:

Alan. ~gets up and leaves his computer to run upstairs, desperately hoping this isn’t because of the TARDIS’ presence~

MASTER:

~follows closely, his worry showing on his face as they follow the sound to Jack’s room~

ALAN:

~tosses about on the bed in distress, gripping the sheets though he’s obviously fully awake~

DOCTOR:

~strides to the bed, sitting down on the edge and firmly setting a hand on Alan’s shoulder~ Alan, what’s wrong? ~his tone more commanding than his usual soft, concerned tone~

ALAN:

~flinches away from the Doctor’s touch, backing up to the wall at the left side of the bed, his eyes wide with fear~ get away from me! ~glances between the Master and the Doctor, shrinking back into the corner~

DOCTOR:

~his gaze shoots to the floor, hurt and disgusted with himself for acting like such a soldier, his tone becoming softer as his mental walls grow less sturdy and he speaks~ I’m sorry, Alan… I really do just want to know what’s wrong… so I can help.

ALAN:

~murmuring to himself in distress~ she’s so confused… where did she go; far away far away, please just leave me alone… ~stares at the bedsheets, biting the covers that he’s bunched up in front of him as his eyes brim with tears~

DOCTOR:

~despite his previous disgust, his mental walls rather quickly build themselves back up~ Master, I’m going to see if I can solve this from the TARDIS. Don’t stray too far from Alan. ~gets up to walk out of the room~

MASTER:

~nods dutifully~ I won’t. ~takes the Doctor’s place on the edge of the bed, gently trying to reach over and comfort Alan~

ALAN:

~flinches away~

JACK:

~is walking up the stairs, asking in concern when he sees the Doctor~ is everything alright up there?

DOCTOR:

~pauses at the top of the stairs to answer Jack~ no; I’m going to have to see what I can do about it from the TARDIS. She’s extremely confused and it’s affecting Alan.

JACK:

~nods worriedly, continuing on toward his room~ alright, well, be careful.

DOCTOR:

I will. ~goes down the steps to the back elevator to go up to the surface~

TARDIS:

~seems relieved when the Doctor comes up in the secondary elevator, having been pulsating with stress and confusion~

DOCTOR:

~walks over to the TARDIS, resting a hand on her door affectionately~ shh… it’s alright, old girl, we’re in Cardiff. By Torchwood HQ. ~seems troubled, thinking about what the Master said about shutting the TARDIS down~

TARDIS:

~she invites the Doctor inside, wanting his company; pauses at the Doctor’s thought, the notion seeming to raise her stress level again~

DOCTOR:

Don’t worry, I’d never do such a thing to you. The Master’s a self-absorbed prick—one that I happen to love, but a prick. ~hesitates but is unable to keep himself from pushing the door open to step inside~

TARDIS:

~she seems reassured and warmly amused by the Doctor’s comment, returning the reassurance that she doesn’t know where GLaDOS has gone, and he should be fine being on board~

DOCTOR:

~walks into the TARDIS, closing the door behind him and mentally asking the Master how Alan’s doing, going to sit on the bench~ it’s weird, what She’s decided to do…

MASTER:

~responds that Alan got a little violent, but now he’s calmed down and is allowing comforting physical contact~

TARDIS:

~agrees thoughtfully, proposing after a moment that perhaps it wasn’t Her decision~

DOCTOR:

~nods~ that would be ideal… and for that reason, I don’t dare get my hopes up. ~pauses for a moment before stating~ part of me just wants to run, just like we always have. To run… if for no other reason than to prove I can.

TARDIS:

~responds with suppressed excitement that if the Doctor wants to try and run, she’s more than willing to do so—but reminds him of GLaDOS’ ability to manipulate her, as well as asking if he intends to bring the others along~

DOCTOR:

The others would see it as a stupid risk… they already made an argument to shut you off. ~stands and walks to the console, setting the coordinates to good old Victorian London~ might as well test this out while we’re at it…

TARDIS:

~seems concerned all of a sudden about the consequences if this doesn’t work out, but also realizing they’ll be free of GLaDOS in the Victorian period—yet then her worry circles back to the fact that the Doctor’s considering abandoning his family~

DOCTOR:

If it works, I’ll come back; if She sucks us back in, at least I didn’t suck them in with me. Besides, if it works, it could—if we’re lucky for once—shake the link to Her off. I don’t want to leave my family and make the same mistakes I did before, but I still want to protect them. ~speaks as he sets the TARDIS up for lift off, telling the Master mentally that he’ll be right back~

MASTER:

~asks where he’s going, a mixture of worried and accusing~

TARDIS:

~still seems to have a few doubts, but trusts the Doctor to make a decent decision~

DOCTOR:

~mentally gives the coordinates, staring at the takeoff lever hesitantly, his hand resting on it as he considers the potential consequences one last time before pulling the lever with determination~


	23. Baker Street

TARDIS:

~takes off smoothly~

MENTAL:

~only a brief spark of panic makes it through their link before the Master’s presence fades, no longer aligning to the Doctor’s time~

DOCTOR:

I’m sorry, Master… ~runs about the console, flying the TARDIS, astonished by the lack of an immediate crisis~

TARDIS:

~is relieved when GLaDOS doesn’t seem to take any action, continuing more confidently until the Doctor lands her and she’s struck with the excitement of being somewhere different on top of GLaDOS not being present~

DOCTOR:

~smiles and strides to the doors, opening them, hoping to see London in all its glory but in the Victorian period—or at least close to it~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they seem to have landed in the center of a busy intersection, with horse-drawn carriages trotting this way and that as a cold winter snow falls gently over the rooftops and carriage hoods; people in period dress mill about, paying no mind to the Doctor and his TARDIS~

DOCTOR:

~steps out but immediately steps back with his lack of shoes~ we did it! Granted, that doesn’t mean we’re free, but we can’t be reached here! We could spend a little time here since it worked…. Then be back before they get too worried. We should probably also get out of the road, though. ~walks back to the console, closing the door~ what do you think?

TARDIS:

~agrees, concerned that the perception filter will cause a collision with some unknowing carriage on its way past~

DOCTOR:

~sets the coordinates to just move out of the street, pulling the takeoff lever, his old giddily adventurous nature gradually returning~

TARDIS:

~she draws from the Doctor’s mood, mirroring his excited aura as she recommends that he get himself some shoes, change into something warmer or more appropriate and maybe use the zero room~

DOCTOR:

Right. ~looks at his scabbed, cut up feet, debating whether or not using the zero room is really necessary as he walks to the hallway and towards his wardrobe~

TARDIS:

~remains in a quiet state of contentment, pondering why GLaDOS let them do such a thing but seeming hardly worried about it~

DOCTOR:

~speaks as he walks through the corridor~ maybe GLaDOS messed up, or maybe it’s trick to make us think we’re free… either way, we’re here now.

TARDIS:

~agrees with the Doctor, pushing aside her worry for the moment and asking the Doctor if there’s anything in particular he’d like to see in Victorian London~

DOCTOR:

~shrugs, going into the wardrobe to decide on an outfit~ I figured it’s classic—though not literally, that’s a different time period. It’s London and snowing outside and I’m here with the loose parameters I gave you so something’s bound to happen.

TARDIS:

~seems wistfully thoughtful, commenting blithely that they’re right around the corner from Baker Street~

DOCTOR:

That could be fun indeed… a human of the utmost logical abilities trying to comprehend me. ~finds he’s been quickly running out of reasonable looking suit jackets in his size, and ends up grabbing a red velvet one and dress pants to match with his last white undershirt, neglecting a necktie as he doesn’t feel like searching for one that matches~

TARDIS:

~directs him toward a hat stand nearby and a similarly colored velvet fedora, indicating that he might want to try to blend in with the time period’s style~

DOCTOR:

~nods and goes to take the hat, throwing on socks and a pair of black sneakers before checking himself in the mirror, fixing his hair so it doesn’t seem to try to lift his hat, nodding when he’s satisfied with his look and walking out~

TARDIS:

~seems amused by the Doctor’s actions, and his choice of footwear~

DOCTOR:

~strides along through the halls and out of the TARDIS to turn the corner and head to 221B Baker Street and knock on the famous Sherlock Holmes’ door~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a bit of muffled noise behind the door, before a woman comes to open it~

WOMAN:

~gives the Doctor a forced smile after a moment~ good day, sir. Do you wish to speak with Mr. Holmes?

DOCTOR:

~gives a friendly smile~ if that’s not a problem, ma’am… I see this may be a bad time, I can come back later if that would be more convenient.

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a bit of shouting coming from upstairs~

WOMAN:

~winces slightly but maintains her polite smile~ do come in, you’ll freeze out there. Mr. Holmes should be available shortly… ~steps inside, holding the door open and gesturing towards a side room~

DOCTOR:

~steps inside and heads into the side room, pausing to frown towards the yelling~ not very courteous of them, is it? I mean, I didn’t come here expecting courtesy or respect, but it’s still rather inconsiderate.

WOMAN:

~shakes her head slightly~ they don’t know a client’s here; I’ll try to tell them. ~closes the door, heading upstairs tentatively~

DOCTOR:

I wasn’t speaking in _my_ defense. ~patiently looks around the area he’s left in~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a thud from upstairs but then the yelling stops, followed by multiple sets of footsteps milling about. The room the Doctor’s in seems like a kitchen with a small table in the corner~

DOCTOR:

~paces around a bit, looking in then closing random drawers on occasion~

VOICE:

…keep it in the bedroom, ~an exasperated voice reaches the Doctor as someone opens the door upstairs~

SHERLOCK:

~a man smoking a pipe steps down onto the first floor, gesturing to the Doctor~ please state your business plainly and clearly, sir.

DOCTOR:

‘Ello, I’m the Doctor. And, to be as honest as I’ve ever been, I’m a 900-year-old time-traveling alien who happened to be in the neighborhood and thought I’d see if the great Sherlock Holmes can comprehend such a thing. I know I must sound insane, but I know no other way to word it without lying.

SHERLOCK:

~the man seems unfazed, taking his pipe out of his mouth, then looking over the Doctor briefly and asking~ a doctor of what, may I ask?

WOMAN:

~quietly walks down the steps and around the man who is presumably Mr. Holmes~

DOCTOR:

~smiles a little at the question~ It is my name. But beyond that, I was a medical doctor, and know enough to be a Doctor of just about anything on Earth.

SHERLOCK:

~furrows his eyebrows at the Doctor, seeming mildly interested and putting the pipe back in his mouth~ come upstairs, Doctor. ~turns and heads up the stairs again~

DOCTOR:

~follows Sherlock easily, as if responding to a direct order, walking with his hands casually stuffed in his pockets~

SHERLOCK:

~opens the door at the top of the stairs~

ENVIRONMENT:

~revealing a messy flat with a desk, a few chairs next to a fireplace, and a hallway next to where the kitchen connects to the main room~

SHERLOCK:

~gestures to one of the chairs for the Doctor to sit~

DOCTOR:

~sits in the chair Sherlock has gestured to, wondering what Sherlock is thinking but expecting a question to come from him any minute~

SHERLOCK:

I’ll just fetch Watson. ~turns into the hallway, walking down to a closed door and calling into the room~ John, we have a client.

JOHN:

~a voice comes from inside in reply~ hold on just a bloody moment!

SHERLOCK:

~responds, exasperated~ for heaven’s sake, leave it be!

DOCTOR:

~fights back his curiosity as to why the pair are arguing, patiently waiting for their return~

SHERLOCK:

~sighs and turns away from the door, walking back over to the Doctor and commenting flatly~ can’t be helped. ~walks up in front of the Doctor, setting his pipe on a tray nearby as he takes the Doctor’s hat off, speaking afterward~ if you don’t mind. ~inspects it~

DOCTOR:

~shrugs, not minding the fact that he wasn’t really asked~ it’s just a hat, but go ahead.

SHERLOCK:

~turns it over and sniffs the inside, his nose scrunching up as if in disgust before fitting it back on top of the Doctor’s head and flattening his hair~ your clothes are new. You’ve only been wearing them for about ten minutes, approximately but there’s no change on you so they weren’t just recently purchased. You have an abusive lover; just arrived in London… ~furrows his eyebrows in confusion~

DOCTOR:

~listens to Sherlock, realizing he still has his collar on when Sherlock says he has an abusive lover~ Abusive’s a strong word for a rather complicated situation. Nonetheless, you haven’t gotten anything wrong.

SHERLOCK:

I don’t doubt it. ~smiles slightly, his ego boosted by the Doctor’s comment as he continues, starting to pace thoughtfully~ so… quite obviously a traveler, doesn’t smoke, you’ve come here claimed to be a time-traveling alien… either mentally impaired or- ~stops when the door at the end of the hallway opens~

JOHN:

~carefully exits the room without opening the door too far, closing it again~ so who’s the client? ~looks up~

DOCTOR:

Wrong, ask Dr. Watson, check my pulse, no human has a working binary circulatory system. ~smirks, speaking in a mockingly disappointed tone~ And you were doing so well.

SHERLOCK:

I wasn’t finished speaking. ~almost snarls back at the Doctor~

JOHN:

~comes over, having heard the Doctor’s claim~ binary circulatory…? ~comes over to the side of the Doctor’s chair~ pardon me… ~picks up the Doctor’s wrist and feels for his pulse but his hand moves back suddenly~ you’re chilled to the bone!

DOCTOR:

~looks confused, almost scared~ but that would only make sense if I were outside for a while… with no doubt relating to Mr. Holmes’ approximation, I’ve been outside for 10 minutes at most… but GLaDOS let me go…

JOHN:

~brings his hands to the Doctor’s shoulders, speaking with the commanding concern of an army doctor~ you should get yourself warmed up, you’ll catch hypothermia.

DOCTOR:

~after a moment of panicked confusion, bursts into laughter~ sorry, sorry—while I appreciate the concern, I forgot… I’m Timelord, not human, I’m _supposed_ to be cold by comparison. That’s not to say I’m “cold-blooded” either, for clarification.

SHERLOCK:

~his brow furrows considerably, steepling his hands under his nose as he starts to almost vigorously pace the room~

JOHN:

~looks concerned and confused, paying Sherlock no mind and bringing his hand back to check the Doctor’s pulse~ …two heart beats… what is this?

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly~ Timelord. I already told you. I’d show you my sentient time machine but I think it might be best to let you both process the fact that I exist.

SHERLOCK:

~shakes his head vigorously and comes over to move John aside, feeling the Doctor’s wrist for himself and seeming to relax a little before letting go after a moment~ highly improbable… yet, it seems to be true.

DOCTOR:

Indeed it is. I am the Doctor, Timelord of the planet Gallifrey in the constellation Kastoborous… stars aren’t so boring, are they Mr. Holmes?

SHERLOCK:

~straightens up, huffing indignantly~ the stars are no business of mine. They have no significant effect on any case I might have to work, so I don’t need to think about them. ~turns and heads over to sit down on the other chair, where within reach a violin rests beside the fireplace~

DOCTOR:

Well perhaps you don’t want to see my ship, then. Or are you just upset because I proved you wrong? Besides, the stars are beautiful, but the planets are even more so; beautiful, seemingly impossible things. People, each with their own past, their own view, their own name they each look at differently, their own infinitely complex personality and mind and an overwhelming potential most can’t see.

SHERLOCK:

I don’t particularly care for the stars, but I _would_ like to see your ship. ~leans forward with interest~ a time machine?

DOCTOR:

Yes. She’s called the TARDIS; that’s Time And Relative Dimensions in Space. I’ll show you her on the condition that you don’t touch any controls—for obvious reasons.

SHERLOCK:

~squints at the Doctor for a brief moment before standing~ of course. ~starts toward the stairs, inquiring of John condescendingly~ do you plan on accompanying us, Watson, or are you worried about leaving your friend alone in the house?

JOHN:

~scowls at Sherlock~ I don’t see why you’re so against it! What’s the problem?

SHERLOCK:

~seems ready to reply in great detail~

DOCTOR:

~speaks before Sherlock can respond~ I don’t mean to intrude, but friend as in pet? For the sort of period we’ll be gone I could assure any animal that you’ll be back; I do speak every language and most creatures, even on Earth, speak some language.

SHERLOCK:

~rolls his eyes at the Doctor’s claim~ not a pet, a mangy stray that’s going to ruin the bodies I’ve stored upstairs if allowed free range! I absolutely will _not_ allow such a creature on the premesis-

JOHN:

~interrupts pleadingly~ It was dying; what was a doctor to do?

DOCTOR:

Well, though I’m terribly biased in Dr. Watson’s behalf, I do believe that if the creature is not in critical condition it can be left alone for a short period of time… what’s wrong with it?

JOHN:

~relaxes with relief and looks to the Doctor~ it was sick and hurt… though I’m not an expert with felines, I couldn’t just leave it there.

SHERLOCK:

~rolls his eyes and heads down the stairs~

DOCTOR:

~ignores Sherlock’s bitterness for the moment, asking~ mind if I take a look at it then? Every type of species was included in my training at the Academy. I could help.

JOHN:

What academy would that be? ~asks as he gestures for the Doctor to follow and heads down the hall, carefully opening the door at the end and stepping inside to a bedroom~

DOCTOR:

~follows John, careful of any feline escape artist~ the Timelord Academy… it was all in one giant school system—there was separation of ages but beyong that it was just the Academy.

JOHN:

~nods slightly, slipping inside the room and walking over to the bed~

CAT:

~a sickly tortoiseshell cat is curled up on a blanket, one of her hind legs seeming badly twisted~

DOCTOR:

~his expression softens in concern when he looks at the creature, making a small rumbling noise in his throat quite close to the purring of a cat to comfort his little patient, reaching over to gently pet them~

CAT:

~lifts its head slightly and lets out a weak mewling noise before letting its head fall back onto the blanket, her tail flicking slightly before she lifts her head again to give the Doctor’s hand a small lick as if asking him to help~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly, gently inspecting the leg first before looking for signs of symptoms to whatever illness the feline has, his demeanor somewhat mirroring that of a cat as he does so~

CAT:

~hisses and her ears go back when the Doctor touches her leg, though he manages to figure out that the leg is broken; as for the sickness, all that’s for certain is that the feline is unhealthily thin~

DOCTOR:

~trills lightly at the cat as an apology~ the leg’s broken; beyong that what she seems to need most is food. I can grab some stuff from the TARDIS for her, seeing as how I don’t depend on a salary for food, I can get both that and stuff for her leg there.

JOHN:

~furrows his eyebrows, intrigued by the Doctor’s interaction with the injured cat~ alright, not a problem… what is the TARDIS?

DOCTOR:

~explains easily~ my ship, my time machine, my home, and my family—though not genetically, of course.

JOHN:

~looks even more perplexed, shaking his head and smiling appreciatively~ thank you for taking a look at her. I suppose we should join Mr. Holmes now, or he’ll go out on his own, and nothing good comes of that. ~seems amused, turning to head back out of the room~

DOCTOR:

No problem. ~follows John out the door, closing it behind them and speaking thoughtfully~ I understand you… more than I normally expect to understand a human.

JOHN:

~cocks his head slightly, glancing back at the Doctor as he goes to head down the stairs~ I wouldn’t say that’s a particularly bad thing.

DOCTOR:

That’s where we’re different; I hated the war. Rumor states that you miss it… though our wars are far from equal—no offense intended, but I was literally fighting for the continued existence of the universe as we know it.

SHERLOCK:

~calls up from the first floor, already clothed in his overcoat and deerstalker cap~ come on, Watson, stop dawdling!

JOHN:

~hurries down the steps, reaching over to the rack to grab a coat and a bowler hat~ try to have some patience, Holmes.

DOCTOR:

~walks down the steps after Watson; internalizes his fanboyish response to Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in their iconic forms of dress—certainly neither of them disappoint or disprove his initial opinion on them~

SHERLOCK:

~pushes the door open to walk outside, adjusting his cap and gesturing for the Doctor to go ahead~ show the way, Doctor.

DOCTOR:

~nods and strides out into the snow, retracing his steps to the blue police box~ this is her. ~sets a hand on the door handle~

TARDIS:

~seems to be absentmindedly thoughtful~

SHERLOCK:

Fascinating… it’s just a police box? A disguise no doubt… ~comments as he paces around the TARDIS~

DOCTOR:

~smirks~ indeed. An honestly broken cloaking device, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. ~opens the door, stepping in and holding the door open~ come on in!

JOHN:

~looks inside and his eyes widen, glancing over at Sherlock~

SHERLOCK:

~is inspecting the outside of the TARDIS still~

JOHN:

Impossible… ~speaks breathlessly, taking a step inside and looking around in dumbstruck awe~

DOCTOR:

~grins happily~ I assure you it is. This is the console room, beyond which is an infinite labyrinth of halls that connect various rooms.

JOHN:

~takes a few more slow steps around~

SHERLOCK:

~comes around and looks into the TARDIS as well, though his eyes light up with interest and he steeples his hands~ oooh, fascinating!

DOCTOR:

~saunters over to the console, making himself busy with buttons that don’t really do anything~ welcome aboard the TARDIS. My family’s not aboard at the moment, in case you were wondering.

SHERLOCK:

~paces around the console room, circling John and the Doctor as he mutters to himself, then speaks slightly louder~ GLaDOS… TARDIS… family, other Timelords? You said this was your home, where is your family?

DOCTOR:

~speaks a little uncomfortably~ they’re in a different time and place… I intend to return to them after I’m done here. They’re in Cardiff, Earth, in the future.

SHERLOCK:

~abruptly pauses in his pacing and surveys the Doctor again, taking in a sharp breath to continue speaking~ on the run. Maybe from the famly you’re mentioning or this entity named GLaDOS… who is GLaDOS?

JOHN:

~looks around, eyes still wide as he mouths “bigger on the inside” to himself~

DOCTOR:

She is a long story. Essentially, GLaDOS is a horrible, sadistic AI that runs a scientific facility that the Master and I got stuck in.

SHERLOCK:

~approaches the console, leaning over it to look at the controls and pulling a magnifying glass out of a pocket, listening to the Doctor’s explanation with a thoughtful nod~ hm…

DOCTOR:

The Master being his name, I should clarify. ~looks over at John~ what do you think of her?

JOHN:

~looks at the Doctor as he’s snapped out of his trance~ this is absolutely magnificent… I don’t believe what I’m seeing!

DOCTOR:

It can be hard to tell fiction from reality… ~shakes his head, smiling at John~ I’m glad you like what you see!

SHERLOCK:

Hold on, you said sentient earlier. ~straightens up to address the Doctor, pocketing his magnifying glass~ your ship is alive.

JOHN:

~blinks at Sherlock, even more astonished than before~

DOCTOR:

~turns his attention back to Sherlock~ yes, that’s right… She communicates solely through telepathy, but she’s alive.

SHERLOCK:

Telepathy! ~exclaims, grinning and going back to examining a different part of the console through his magnifying glass~

DOCTOR:

~nods~ I’m telepathic as well, though to a far lesser extent. See, I need physical contact to telepathically interact with someone… with a few exceptions.

SHERLOCK:

Please, do enlighten me. I’m new to this concept. ~seems almost challenging with the request, obviously needing some sort of proof to fathom a new concept~

DOCTOR:

Alright then, come here. ~steps over close to Sherlock, bringing his hands to either side of the man’s head before touching foreheads and entering Sherlock’s mind palace, in awe himself at how the genius’ thoughts are organized~

SHERLOCK:

~goes to move away on reflex, but pauses and proudly introduces the Doctor to his unique way of storing memories~

DOCTOR:

~carefully makes sure not to touch anything that may be personal or take anything out of its place, stepping back and leaving Sherlock’s mind after he’s properly marveled at its memory system, bringing his hands back, shoving them into his pockets~ brilliant… though I don’t dare look at any of the information for fear of displacing it.

SHERLOCK:

~smiles proudly~ well thank you, Doctor, for showing me something I previously considered to be a myth. But you’re not just here to prove a point, are you?

DOCTOR:

Like you said, I’m running… I always run. And, in a way, I am here to prove a point, but not to you. Why don’t we walk and talk at the same time so I can get something for the cat’s broken leg? ~starts towards the doorway to the hall~

JOHN:

~comes to attention again and nods hastily, avoiding Sherlock’s disapproving stare~ oh yes, of course. ~follows after the Doctor~

SHERLOCK:

~follows purely because he finds the Doctor interesting~

DOCTOR:

~turns right into the hall~ as for what I’m running from: yeah, GLaDOS, and responsibility, and simply to prove I can… and maybe to prove I’m still who I was…

SHERLOCK:

So an AI… what is an AI? That’s a term I’m not familiar with. ~he asks, holding a certain distaste for not knowing~

DOCTOR:

A machine that can respond to things as if it were a living being. Whether or not it can be considered alive is controversial. GLaDOS is actually an amazing scientific accomplishment, if only she wasn’t running such a hellish place.

TARDIS:

~feels a little out of it, her thoughts taken up by worry and speculation~

JOHN:

~looks around at the rooms in fascination~

SHERLOCK:

~nods appreciatively~ so you and your family are being oppressed by this machine… for how long?

DOCTOR:

I’m ironically not so good at estimating amounts of time… far too long. My son was born during it as well… ~his own anxiety raises with his and the TARDIS’ thoughts, turning to the medicine room to get supplies for the cat’s leg~

SHERLOCK:

Son… ~murmurs to himself, then quietly lists off the Doctor’s injuries under his breath, trying to piece the case together and infer the Doctor’s life~

DOCTOR:

~speaks as he rifles through drawers~ with all due respect, Sherlock Holmes, I highly doubt you can piece together my life from what you know—especially considering my age.

SHERLOCK:

I can try, can’t I? ~replies confidently, standing outside the room~

JOHN:

~follows the Doctor in, looking around in awe of the quality of the medical supplies~

DOCTOR:

~takes out everything necessary to splint and cast the cat’s leg, putting the items in his pockets, pausing before searching through pill bottles to take out a small blue one and close the cupboards~ that should do it… ~turns to leave the room~

JOHN:

~looks at the supplies with interest, inquiring~ what is the bottle for?

SHERLOCK:

~paces slightly outside the room, deep in thought~

DOCTOR:

It’s a relatively mild anesthetic, so the poor thing’s not in pain the whole time I’m working on her leg. The pills in this are small enough that she’ll swallow it easily, especially with a bit of food.

JOHN:

~nods slowly, looking at Sherlock in brief concern as he starts to head out of the room~

DOCTOR:

~walks out of the room as well, closing the door behind them~ so, the kitchen next, for the food. Got anything new figured out, Mr. Holmes?

SHERLOCK:

~follows at a distance, his hands still steepled under his chin~ working on it.

JOHN:

~falls back to walk beside the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~walks back down the hall~ this is all quite refreshing… not quite like the alien crises I used to solve, but it’s nice to not have to worry for a little bit. I will return to my family after this, of course, but still.

JOHN:

~goes to speak~

SHERLOCK:

~interrupts with finality~ something happened to your… home planet. ~hesitates to say the term, unfamiliar with dealing with aliens~

DOCTOR:

~frowns slightly~ Yes. A war, I’m not sure you heard what I said to John earlier, but I was a soldier in an immense war.

SHERLOCK:

~nods~ I can see you carry an immense guilt on your shoulders, Doctor. ~asks curiously, prying~ what was it?

DOCTOR:

~subconsciously starts to walk with the posture of a soldier~ I was the only one who could stop the literal worst war in the universe and make sure the universe stayed intact… I have many things I feel horribly guilty for, Mr. Holmes, but I burnt my home planet, killing all Timelords and Daleks alike. My family are the only Timelords, and only because the Master ran from the war a year before its end.

JOHN:

~seems to automatically assume a similar walking pattern as he strides beside the Doctor~

SHERLOCK:

~claps his hands together~ how is it that you know English if you’re not from Earth? You even have our same accent!

DOCTOR:

It’s quite easy; ~switches to an authentic-sounding American accent~ I know every language, ~then to Scottish~ accents are a piece of cake. ~then to Australian~ I’m just in England a lot.

SHERLOCK:

~seems impressed~ that is quite the talent. But how can you know _every_ language?

DOCTOR:

~seems to gradually relax~ I’ve lived 900 years with a genetically superior mental capacity. My son has learned English as his first language and he’s not yet a month old.

JOHN:

~starts to look around at the different rooms, trying to see if he can recognize a kitchen~ that’s… impressive, ~he comments, looking over at the Doctor~ so you age differently as well?

SHERLOCK:

~rolls his eyes~ elementary, my dear Watson.

DOCTOR:

Indeed we do—I _was_ speaking of Earth time. I’ve grown a liking to Earth… ~strides up to the kitchen door, opening it to the kitchen/dining room~

TARDIS:

~suddenly panics as she realizes that GLaDOS somehow still has an active connection, it’s just been dormant so as to not reveal itself~

JOHN:

~peers into the room~

SHERLOCK:

~finds a spot to pace again~

DOCTOR:

~his step falters and he stops in the middle of the room~ shit… ~walks in a slower, defeated manner to the fridge~

SHERLOCK:

~stops and looks at the Doctor, eyebrows furrowed~ what was that, Doctor?

DOCTOR:

~forces a smile~ nothing… don’t worry about it. John, you can treat the cat, right? I’m afraid I’ll be leaving sooner than I intended. ~takes some unidentifiable packaged meat out of the fridge~

SHERLOCK:

I do believe something important’s come up-

JOHN:

~interrupts to respond to the Doctor, concern in his voice~ yes, I think I can. Is everything alright?

DOCTOR:

No, but you’ll hear from me again if I’m ever free… If I can ever really run away. Maybe I’ll even bring the family next time, then you can all get to know each other over a nice cup of tea. Until then… I’ll just try to stay alive. ~closes the fridge and walks out, going to the wardrobe, which is nearby, to retrieve his bloody, tattered jumpsuit to carry with him so he keeps this suit at least, but not changing~

JOHN:

~offers to carry some of the things the Doctor’s arms are laden with, giving the jumpsuit a distasteful glance~

SHERLOCK:

~silently follows them and ponders to himself~

DOCTOR:

~hands John the food, explaining in a quiet tone~ it’s required that GLaDOS’ test subjects wear these jumpsuits… the blood’s mine and my friend’s.

SHERLOCK:

~his brow furrows in sympathy and he comments in an equally quiet tone, for once expressing an opinion~ must be a horrible way to live.

DOCTOR:

~chuckles as he walks down the hall, shaking his head~ sympathy from Sherlock Holmes… it is, but it’s my life; and, because of me, my family’s as well. I’m glad I got to do something relatively normal, though.

JOHN:

~gently places a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder for a brief moment of comfort, looking up when the console room is in sight~

TARDIS:

~meanwhile she seethes with anxiety~

DOCTOR:

~looks up at the central column as they walk into the console room~ shh… it’ll be alright, old girl, it’s nothing we haven’t been dealing with… if we land with you like this, it’ll just hurt Alan.

JOHN:

~takes the medical supplies from the Doctor, leaving him holding only the jumpsuit; goes over to Sherlock to tap his shoulder~ come on, Holmes.

SHERLOCK:

~murmurs something to John before looking up to the Doctor, expression grim~ thank you, Doctor. I wish you luck in your travels.

DOCTOR:

~nods in acknowledgement~ what year is it? If all—or anything, rather—goes well, you’ll see me next year.

SHERLOCK:

It is 1891, sir. ~he answers, adjusting his hat slightly with a nod~ see you then, if all goes well. ~heads to the doors~

JOHN:

~waves at the Doctor before following him out~ good day, Doctor.

DOCTOR:

~waves back~ good day… ~looking at the console and knowing the second he pulls the lever he is completely at the mercy of GLaDOS once again, slowly going to reset the coordinates, careful to make it no more than an hour after he left~

TARDIS:

~works on calming herself down, managing to seem collected after a few moments and starting to wonder why GLaDOS hasn’t made a move if she is capable of it~

DOCTOR:

~sounds a little unstable as he answers~ because I’m doing what She wants, proving what She expects… it’s the only way it’s ever happened, the only way it will ever happen.

TARDIS:

~encourages the Doctor not to lose hope, reminding him that his family is waiting for him~

DOCTOR:

~nods, pulling the takeoff lever to fly the TARDIS, forcing himself to move with a bit of determination~

TARDIS:

~goes into flight, once again there’s no interference~

MASTER:

~the Master’s link returns and he asks the Doctor what he thought he was doing when he left, trying to keep himself composed~

DOCTOR:

~lands the TARDIS and heads to her doors, responding to the Master with “what I always did”~

MASTER:

~holds back his anger, letting his relief show instead, asking how it went~

TARDIS:

~has landed directly in Torchwood HQ, roughly an hour after they left~

  
DOCTOR:

~states that he happened to land near the home of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson and it went relatively well, stepping out of the TARDIS and closing the door behind him~

MASTER:

~steps down the stairs with a sleeping Alan curled up against his chest, sporting a darkening bruise on his cheekbone along with the stitches from the cuts across his face. Looks up at the Doctor, giving a weary sigh that seems almost disapppointed~

DOCTOR:

~casts his gaze to the floor once he sees the Master~ I’m sorry…

MASTER:

So, did you get anywhere or was that all for nothing?

ALAN:

~shifts~

MASTER:

~looks down at him, adjusting his hold on the small Timelord to keep him comfortable, before looking up at the Doctor again with a cold stare~

DOCTOR:

~hesitantly recounts his lack of findings, unable to meet the Master’s gaze~ I wanted to see if there’s a way out… but Her connection, somehow, wasn’t even mildly deterred by time travel… She just… let me go… ~almost wishing the Master would just hit him and say he’d better not do it again—it would hurt less~

MASTER:

Look at me, Doctor. ~his tone sharpens, then he continues~ you know what would have happened if She redirected the TARDIS, and I already said we need to stay together. Were you just ignoring me?

DOCTOR:

~forces himself to look up from the floor at the Master, snarling~ I heard your orders, _Master,_ and I chose to do something different. Believe it or not, I do have free will.

MASTER:

~nods slightly as if agreeing with the Doctor, then turns around and walks over to a desk where he picks up a blue card, putting it in his pocket before bringing his arm back around Alan and heading over to the elevator that leads up to the disguised entrance~


	24. Now There's A Plan

DOCTOR:

~he watches the Master now, his stomach churning at the thought that the Master might be leaving him again, taking a slightly shaky step towards the elevator and looking at his Master with wide eyes~

MASTER:

~turns and looks at the Doctor, stern~ go on then, if you think it’ll be so much better. Run on back to Aperture. I’m taking Alan home whether you’re coming or not. ~with that, he steps into the elevator~

DOCTOR:

I didn’t-… ~shakes his head, turning and running back into the TARDIS, his mind closed off from her for once as he closes the door behind him and opens the floor, tears streaming down his face~ I’m sorry… I’m so so so sorry, I’ll destroy Her, I’ll make it up to you, I promise… ~holds his hand on the cord he needs to pull to shut her down, freezing, staring down at his hand~

TARDIS:

~panic from the TARDIS flares up in the Doctor’s mind, realizing what he’s about to do and feeling utterly betrayed~

DOCTOR:

~falters, his hand falling from the cord~ I can’t… but-… ~curls up where he sits, unable to make a decision~ they’re safer without me, though, aren’t they? Everyone leaves or dies, is it not best they leave…?

MASTER:

~offers no insight other than letting his composure crumble a bit, assuming that the Doctor made his decision when he ran back to the TARDIS~

TARDIS:

~she tries to comfort the Doctor, not knowing which is the better choice~

DOCTOR:

~stands and comes out from under the floor, closing it back and exiting the TARDIS, closing her doors behind him and going to the monitor where he had been setting up his message~

JACK:

~strolls out from his office, an uncharacteristic cup of tea in his hand as he stops to look at the Doctor in surprise~ Doc, what’s going on?

DOCTOR:

The Master’s taking Alan home… I left for an hour, the Master was angry because I risked a lot for nothing, and he left me with the choice of follow or leave. I went into the TARDIS then came back out and I’m going to do what we were planning to do in the first place. When I’m less of a danger to them, I’ll return to our little rented flat, and stay with them if they’ll have me; if not, same old life…

JACK:

~walks over and sets his mug on the desk beside the Doctor’s computer, peering over his shoulder at what he’s doing~ I have some tech here that we might be able to use, maybe try to disconnect the TARDIS.

DOCTOR:

If GLaDOS’ connection withstood Time, we’ll need something pretty powerful to disconnect it. ~setting up a message to the Shadow Proclamation explaining the problem and his solution to it—don’t kill anything unless it’s necessary, get the disk— _every_ disk—from GLaDOS, and then replace it with a different one; he can make one up~

JACK:

Shadow Proclamation? ~asks with a slight raise of his eyebrows~ you think they’ll be interested enough?

DOCTOR:

They owe me. I’ve helped them on more than one occasion, it’s time they help me back; unless you have a better idea.

JACK:

~shrugs and shakes his head~ no objections here. ~picks up his mug to take a sip of the tea, pausing and looking over at the end of the nearest desk, where the blue card had been~ someone stole my Oyster card. ~remarks matter-of-factly~

DOCTOR:

That was the Master; we live in London. ~finishes up his message with demanding they follow his rules this time so no one gets hurt and transmits it to the Shadow Proclamation~

JACK:

The rent’s crazy up there. How’d you guys plan on getting by? ~continues to nurse his cup of tea, looking a little surprised at the Doctor’s sudden aggression at the end of his message~

DOCTOR:

If I’m being honest, it’s quite easy to obtain illegally, though we _were_ considering jobs and actually getting an honest income. Worse comes to worst, the Queen’s an ally of mine.

ENVIRONMENT:

~after a moment, the Doctor’s message registers as successfully sent and received by the Shadow Proclamation~

JACK:

~is silent for a while, commenting after a few moments~ I checked the calendar… it’s five days before Christmas.

DOCTOR:

Great, if we escape, we’ll be greeted by the beautiful annual alien catastrophe. Hopefully not Daleks.

JACK:

I don’t know, maybe it’ll be something different. ~holds the mug, warming his hands and looking distant~ there _have_ been peaceful Christmases before.

DOCTOR:

Not that I’ve been around for. Last time I had Christmas dinner would be… with Rose and her folks?

JACK:

Well, there’s a first time for everything. ~pauses as he looks at the screen, awaiting a response to the Doctor’s message while also thinking~ why did the Master decide to leave all of a sudden?

DOCTOR:

~speaks in a thoughtful, distant tone~ like I said, he got pissed at me. Didn’t hurt me, didn’t even raise his voice…

JACK:

Well that’s good… ~trails off uncertainly but comes to attention as a response comes through~

MESSAGE:

~it basically is acknowledging the Doctor’s situation and saying they’ll get to this when their priority missions are completed, as the issue doesn’t concern their laws~

DOCTOR:

~writes back a more aggressive message, pointing out that if it weren’t for him they’d likely not have a universe to govern and how he’s helped them on several occasions despite his opposition to their operation—he could have ended it easily by now. He’s never asked anything of them, but he _needs_ help~

MESSAGE:

~after a minute the reply comes back that the Doctor’s request will be processed and an attempt will be made to put it higher up on the priority list~

JACK:

Stubborn little suckers. ~comments as he reads the message~

DOCTOR:

~angrily responds with basically “do you want me to risk coming over there to get you?”~

JACK:

Ooh, don’t make him count! ~adds in amusement as if speaking to the Shadow Proclamation, putting them in the role of the scolded child~

MESSAGE:

~the reply is simply that troops are being sent over and a slightly exasperated remark that no, he does not need to “come over there” to get them~

DOCTOR:

~gives a simple “thank you”, stepping back with a satisfied smile~ there we go, that’s better… they’ll be over soon.

JACK:

~chuckles slightly to himself, finishing his tea~ hey, want a cup? I dug up a kettle not too long ago, figured why not and set it up on the stove; the tea’s probably still warm.

DOCTOR:

~looks over at Jack, taking a second to answer the off-topic question~ sure!

JACK:

~smiles and gestures for the Doctor to follow, showing the way to a small practical kitchen where a kettle sits on the stove, going to pour some of the cheap generic “tea” already brewed into another mug~

DOCTOR:

~follows Jack easily, more like himself than Jack’s seem him as of late~ thank you. ~takes the mug after Jack has poured the tea, sipping it~

JACK:

Sure. ~leans back on the counter after setting the kettle back, looking into his empty mug before piping up, sounding serious~ hey, Doc?

DOCTOR:

~looks up from his cup, picking up on Jack’s tone with a certain level of concern~ yeah, Jack?

JACK:

Not to bring up old problems, but ~pauses briefly and meets the Doctor’s gaze~ She’s wiped out now, you’ve still got the drums to deal with.

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly~ yes, I know… I’ll try to find a way to get rid of them; meanwhile, the Master has taught me a few harmless tricks to keep them in check, so it might be alright.

JACK:

~raises his eyebrows slightly with interest, fiddling with his cup~ oh? Like what?

DOCTOR:

~his gaze shoots down to his mug and he takes a sip as if to justify the action~ if you don’t focus on the drums, they can’t consume your thoughts… kind of like background noise. It of course only slows it, but it’s better than nothing.

JACK:

Only that? Seems like something you could just figure out on your own. ~getting tired of staring at his empty cup, pours some more tea into it though it’s not as warm as before~

DOCTOR:

~decidedly implies the real answer as he comments~ well, I don’t believe I would’ve found out on my own that there’s a perfectly harmless way to satisfy the drums’ hunger for power.

JACK:

~wants to pry further, but doesn’t want to seem like he’s overly interested as that would be intrusive. Casually nurses his tea~

TARDIS:

~is suddenly overcome by torturous agony~

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand to the side of his head, sensing the TARDIS’ agony~ She’s hurting the TARDIS. ~goes back to the TARDIS at a brisk stride to stand by her side~

JACK:

~sets down the mug and follows the Doctor, looking on in concern as the Doctor walks up to the TARDIS~

TARDIS:

~her lights are dim as she tries to cope with the relentless torment~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head, trying to open the door to get inside and finish what he couldn’t before—just for now; he’ll turn her back on later~

TARDIS:

~the door seems to have locked itself, and the desperate ringing of the cloister bell can be heard from inside~

DOCTOR:

I can’t do anything… ~rests his head on the door, his eyes closed as he just wills it to stop, seeming unbelievably tired and horribly desperate~

JACK:

~comes over and places a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder gently, speaking softly~ she’s a living being, right, so maybe we could… I don’t know, do something to kock her unconscious from the outside? ~shakes his head, hoping he has something that can help~

DOCTOR:

I doubt it… ~shakes his head, mentally forcing away his pessimism, stepping away from the TARDIS looking determined~ alright, what’ve you got?

JACK:

~strides over to the table with alien tech on it, after a bit of rifling through picking up a handheld device, and holding it out to the Doctor~ this works as a sort of stun gun, I don’t know if it’ll knock her out let alone for how long but it’s worth a try.

DOCTOR:

~nods, taking the gun~ alright then, it’s all we’ve got, let’s try it. ~walks up to the TARDIS, shooting her~

TARDIS:

~has voluntarily lowered her shields to allow the charge to get through, and the lights behind the windows go dark as her anguish ceases. There’s a small click as the door unlocks itself~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, setting the gun down~ never thought there’d be a day when I’d have to shoot her in any way… at any rate, ~takes a sip of tea~ I need to write up a replacement disk for GLaDOS; if I’m clever enough, it could free everyone.

JACK:

~nods, putting the stun gun back in its place before heading over to check the door of the TARDIS, opening it to look inside~ might be best to shut her down, we don’t know if she’ll still be under attack when she comes to.

DOCTOR:

…I know… ~walks over, getting down under her floor and shutting her off, a tear escaping his eye and sliding down his face~ sorry, old girl.

JACK:

~heads over to the monitor with the Doctor’s message to the Shadow Proclamation, calling to him~ they’ll be at the site in approximately… I think that translates to 46 minutes.

DOCTOR:

Oh, I can write the program up in that time—it’s going to be a lot of code. ~goes to a chest under the floor and fishes out an intact stack of blank disks, taking one that isn’t scratched before putting the chest away~ and what’s worse, not knowing what coding language Aperture uses, it all has to be in binary.

JACK:

~winces at the difficult prospect~ alright, anything I can do to help? ~chuckles slightly, hinting at flirtatious~ keep you entertained?

DOCTOR:

~gets out of the floor, looking at Jack in mild disbelief~ do you know binary code? I do believe the entertainment you’d provide would distract more than it would help.

JACK:

~shrugs slightly~ just joking around, Doc. ~peers inside the TARDIS to speak to the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

Alright then. ~walks out of the TARDIS~ so, where would I find a computer with a disk port?

JACK:

~gestures over towards his office unenthusiastically~ my computer has one.

DOCTOR:

Thanks, Jack. ~walks towards Jack’s office, remembering last time he was there and hoping he can keep the drums at bay without the Master~

MASTER:

~gently enters the Doctor’s mind, reminding him that he’s not alone with a soothing presence~

DOCTOR:

~smiles and states that the Master isn’t either—that he never really left, but disconnected the TARDIS and finished the message, entering Jack’s office~

MASTER:

~seems relieved, giving the Doctor a small thank you~

DOCTOR:

~catches the Master up on his plan as he sits down, stating that he can help if he thinks of something the Doctor hasn’t, turning on Jack’s computer and putting the blank disk in the port~

MASTER:

~replies that he might be a little mentally preoccupied with keeping Alan in check~

JACK:

~walks into the office and hurriedly steps in front of the Doctor to double check what’s on his computer, realizing that anything could have been left up before he left and besides, the Doctor needs his password to get in~

DOCTOR:

~laughs but easily lets Jack do what he will~ I probably wouldn’t think any differently of you, but I promise not to look at your web history. ~acknowledging the Master’s response~

JACK:

~chuckles, responding with slight sarcasm~ thanks for the consideration, Doc. ~logs into the computer and exits out of all of the open tabs, internet searches and confidential files alike~

DOCTOR:

~when Jack’s done he sets the computer up so he can code, his fingers just resting on 0 and 1 on the keyboard once he’s ready to start coding~

JACK:

~looks at the monitor and the two number keys, frowning slightly~ do you code in binary a lot?

DOCTOR:

No, but I’ve looked at and had to comprehend loads, so I can easily reverse engineer it all. It’s making it operate GLaDOS that’s the challenge. I intend to make it not only free the humans, but the personality cores that aren’t in Android Hell—that’s its actual name—and give them humanoid forms so they may function freely. I can’t let her Timelords-gone-wrong out on Earth, but I can put them on their own uninhabited planet. After everyone’s freed, it’ll lock Aperture up, hopefully never to be found again.

JACK:

That’s a whole lot that maybe’d be easier to do manually and in stages after getting GLaDOS out of the way. ~furrows his eyebrows~ it would take a bit of time, but there’s unlikely time for a second try if the disk goes wrong.

DOCTOR:

True. It’d be cool if I succeeded, though. I could just make it make things easier in a more simple manner, though really all we need it to do is be recognized as a replacement, so it just can’t be dangerous—for our sake—or blank.

JACK:

~nods, looking at the monitor for a moment before turning to exit the room~ okay, well, I don’t want to get in your way. Good luck. ~walks out of the room~

MASTER:

~seems to have fallen asleep~

ALAN:

~uses the mental link to send a small devious giggle through to the Doctor without waking the Master~

DOCTOR:

~mentally nudges the Master, starting on his coding with the format he saw implemented in Rick when he scanned him, but changing the code itself almost entirely~

MASTER:

~starts awake, giving the Doctor a brief thought of gratitude before going back to having to keep Alan in check, certainly too busy to help the Doctor with his coding~

~•~

[00:30:00]

DOCTOR:

~starts editing his code designed to take orders based on information it receives and trick the system into thinking it’s doing its job~

JACK:

~moseys in to check up on the Doctor, having changed out of his jumpsuit and back into his usual outfit with belt and suspenders~ how’s it coming, Doc?

DOCTOR:

~glances only briefly from the computer with a slight smile~ pretty well, just combing through for errors… it wouldn’t be good to activate the wrong thing here… potentially fatal, really, but you know that.

JACK:

~puts his hands in his pockets and walks further into the room, stopping to sit in another chair off to the side~ yeah… well, just wanted to tell you our rescue wants those disks asap, but do take your time. Mind if I hang out?

DOCTOR:

Yeah well they’re my troops now, I think I made that clear in my message. I hardly trust them as is, but they’re our only shot. I don’t intend to give them the disks is my point, I suppose. And no, I don’t mind at all.

JACK:

We’re not giving them the disks? ~reaches over to pick up a case nearby, setting it on his lap and undoing the latches to open it slightly~

DOCTOR:

Not if it can be avoided; if they do so much as to scratch this we don’t know what will happen. GLaDOS holds one major disk—the one we took the first time was not essential, but her personality disk—so to speak—contains _Her._

JACK:

~opens the case fully, looking in at his vortex manipulator with relief as he replies~ ah, makes sense. So are we going in with the TARDIS after she’s deactivated?

DOCTOR:

I suppose that’s a logical course of action… we’ll have to wait for GLaDOS to deactivate to power her up, but it should be fine. You should know by now how much “winging it” is included in my plans regardless of the importance of said plan.

JACK:

I’ve got my vortex manipulator here too ~gestures to the open case~ I can bring it along, just in case things go awry.

DOCTOR:

~looks up from the computer, not having noticed Jack’s actions until now~ alright… sounds good to me. ~scrolls through all his code once again, making absolutely sure he hasn’t made a mistake, taking the disk out afterward, seeming worried~

JACK:

~takes it out of its case, strapping the device to his arm before setting the case back on the floor and standing up, only then looking over and seeing the Doctor’s worried expression~ you okay? ~speaks softly~

DOCTOR:

Yeah… ~stands, nodding~ let’s see if they’ve arrived; they’re not even honorable enough to have patience over such things.

JACK:

~nods in agreement, walking back out into the main room~

ALAN:

~contacts the Doctor through the Master’s link, confidently assuring him that they’ll succeed~

MASTER:

~notices the intrusion and gets him out of their link~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles, less worried as he follows along and explains himself~ Alan is convinced my plan will work.

JACK:

~glances back as he stops in front of the monitor with the messages, noting the fact that the Doctor seems less concerned~ how could he know that?

DOCTOR:

~shrugs~ I know just about as much as you do about Alan’s mental condition; we never scanned him… my confidence doesn’t come from belief in whatever Alan’s seeing or hearing, I just… ~gets distantly thoughtful~ appreciate my son’s belief in me.

JACK:

~smiles slightly at the Doctor’s response, looking down at the monitor and at the new pop-up~

MESSAGE:

~it says “arrived. Awaiting your direction.”~

DOCTOR:

~follows Jack’s gaze, reading the message~ alright, let’s get started. ~goes to type up a response, one-handed with the disk in his other hand, messaging the troops with a description of Aperture and the coordinates to Her mainframe he remembers from the times they landed there, stating that they are not to attack any being that isn’t a large robot hanging from the ceiling with a yellow optic—GLaDOS. From GLaDOS, they’re to retrieve every disk, shutting Her down. After She’s off, they are to report back to him~

MESSAGE:

~after a minute a brief “acknowledged; proceeding” comes through as a reply~

JACK:

They seem awfully cooperative all of a sudden. ~comments untrustingly, lifting up his wrist and opening his vortex manipulator just to look at it fondly~

DOCTOR:

~nods with a look of distaste~ they dispatched soldiers. That’s who I’m talking to, a bunch of rhinos with the creativity of a Cyberman, the intelligence of a hamster, but the training of a service dog.

JACK:

~nods, resting his arm back at his side~ ah, so that’s why. ~leans back on the desk behind them, casually putting his hands in his pockets~ so, we just sit and wait until we hear back from them?

DOCTOR:

I guess so; we can’t do much else from here. ~turns to Jack as he responds, casually leaning on the table that holds the monitor~

GLaDOS:

*What is this, Doctor.* ~Her voice, coming from the dormant TARDIS, sounds less questioning and more simply annoyed~

JACK:

~flinches slightly at the unexpectedness of the sound~

DOCTOR:

~he doesn’t answer, just turning and watching the monitor, already expecting defeat upon hearing Her voice but not showing it or much emotion at all~

GLaDOS:

*I know you’re there, Doctor. Tell me, what do you think will happen if this unlikely plan of yours fails?*

JACK:

~winces slightly, murmuring to the Doctor~ she’s just trying to make us give up, ignore her.

DOCTOR:

~is silent for a moment before speaking~ GLaDOS… I believe I said long ago that this is war… I don’t believe you recognize how far I’m willing to go if this doesn’t work.

GLaDOS:

*Then what would you say if I were to surrender-* ~a small bit of panic betrays her in her voice, as she’s suddenly cut off with a brief moment of static~

DOCTOR:

~just speaks as if She hadn’t been cut off~ I’d say we’re past that. I asked if you wanted help or mercy several times before. You betrayed our deal… I’m not killing you, though. Chell will determine your fate.

JACK:

Chell… ~repeats thoughtfully, still hushed~ have you mentioned her before?

MESSAGE:

~after a few minutes, a message comes in that the job has been done, and none of the humans were harmed… well, not by the Shadow Proclamation, anyway~

DOCTOR:

If not, you’ll soon figure out who she is. ~writes back that he’ll soon be in the facility’s lobby, requesting that they stand by~ alright, Allons-y.

MESSAGE:

~advice comes back that he might want to bring a gas mask if he intends to come directly to the site~

JACK:

~looks at the message in concern~ uh oh…

DOCTOR:

~his own eyes widen before coming alive with fury and despair~ if She killed them, She’ll know no mercy from me… I won’t give that disk to Chell, I’ll destroy it if they’re dead. ~strides to the TARDIS to start Her up~

JACK:

~hurries after the Doctor, double checking his wrist once more to make sure he still has his vortex manipulator; that done, he steps into the console room~ destroying it seems like the safest course of action anyway.

DOCTOR:

Chell deserves to choose, though… She helped, she helped so much, and I wronged her. I owe her, I owe Kevin, I owe Dr. Holloway, I owe Claire… ~gets back under the floor to plug in what he had pulled out~ Hell, I even owe Caroline.

JACK:

~closes the door behind him and stands on the edge of the pit the Doctor’s in~ care to tell me who Chell is then?

DOCTOR:

The only other escapee. Human, brilliant, unusually strong. Accompanied by a lovably idiotic core by the name of Wheatley. ~looks up once he’s reconnected the TARDIS, climbing out of the floor and closing it as he looks to the console in concern for her~

TARDIS:

~the console powers up again, and the TARDIS’ consciousness returns, still in pain but it’s only lingering aftereffects. She groggily asks the Doctor what happened~

DOCTOR:

~mentally catches the TARDIS up on everything~ where would I have a gas mask…?

TARDIS:

~she seems to calm down after the explanation, relaying that she can’t find GLaDOS’s connection in her systems, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything~

JACK:

Not sure… got any in the wardrobe? ~offers helpfully~

DOCTOR:

I’ll go check—have you seen my wardrobe?—not the time, right, I’ll be back. ~runs off to the halls to go check the wardrobe~

JACK:

~casually sits down on the bench to wait for the Doctor to return~

~•~

[00:09:05]

DOCTOR:

~returns with two gas masks in hand, panting from rushing~ here, take one.

JACK:

~quickly gets to his feet, taking the gas mask he’s handed and putting it on~ right, let’s go.

DOCTOR:

~throws the remaining gas mask on as he sets the coordinates and pulls the takeoff lever, running around to fly the TARDIS~

JACK:

~stumbles and reaches over to grab the side of the bench, keeping himself from falling. Once again checks his wrist for his vortex manipulator almost as if he’s paranoid~

DOCTOR:

~notices the frequent tendency, stating~ your device isn’t going to simply disappear, Jack. ~when they land~

JACK:

~hesitantly lowers his arm and looks up at the Doctor when they land, waiting to follow him out~ I don’t know, I just don’t want to lose it… got the disk?

DOCTOR:

~takes the disk out of his otherwise empty pocket, walking to the door~ right here. ~opens the TARDIS doors with his other hand, looking out in worry for the people who he may find dead~

ENVIRONMENT:

~neurotoxin is thick in the air of the lobby, and someone lies dead on the floor not too far away, but the room is also taken up by about five Judoon and Kevin~

KEVIN:

~looks considerably frightened as something is held over his mouth and nose by one of the masked rhinos to help keep him breathing~

DOCTOR:

~glances around, seeing the group of Judoon and Kevin~ oh, thank god he survived… [in Judoon: take him into the TARDIS, please] Kevin, we’ll get you out of here. A wife and two sons, right?

KEVIN:

~his eyes glisten with tears as he nods slightly, letting one fall after a blink~

JUDOON:

~the Judoon holding Kevin leads him to the TARDIS as the Doctor instructed. Another Judoon steps up to the Doctor to ask~ [what are your orders?]

DOCTOR:

[I need to get to GLaDOS’ mainframe. It should be at the bottom of this elevator shaft if She hasn’t moved it. You four should go see if there are any survivors. Any survivors can be brought into the TARDSI whose doors should remain closed when they aren’t being walked through so she may clean the air in there.] Jack; you are, of course, with me.

TARDIS:

~reinforces her shields with determination, pushing them out to a decent size so that the gas is less likely to get inside~

JACK:

~blinks once or twice bfore nodding, taking a wary look at the one dead scientist in the room~

JUDOON:

~the Judoon exits the TARDIS, having left Kevin there, and the original one who spoke continues~ [and the one?] ~gesturing to the fifth Judoon~

DOCTOR:

~turns to the fifth Judoon~ [you will stay by the TARDIS; if something happens to her you will either evacuate those inside or report to me depending on the severity of the situation.]

JUDOON5:

[Affirmative.] ~the fifth Judoon grunts as a reply, stepping back inside to stay on guard in the TARDIS, closing the door~

JACK:

~looks away from the dead body, looking back at the elevator and then at the Doctor, waiting for him to be done~

DOCTOR:

Alright then. ~waves his hand in a dismissive gesture to the remaining Judoon before heading towards the elevator, muttering to himself~ it’s been a while since I’ve done that…

JUDOON:

~the others turn and head off as a group to search for survivors~

JACK:

~turns and follows the Doctor into the elevator~ since you’ve done what?

DOCTOR:

Divided up tasks like that—I mean, I do divide tasks to get things down, but not normally by giving direct orders. ~goes to the control panel to get the elevator to go down~

JACK:

~gives a small hum and a nod of acknowledgement, watching the Doctor’s actions as he stands back against the wall of the elevator, loosely holding his wrist~

DOCTOR:

~fairly easily sets the elevator to go down at a reasonable speed, stepping back with a hard, blank expression~

JACK:

~unable to really see the Doctor’s expression behind the mask, he leans back against the wall and watches the levels descend until they arrive in the mainframe room~

ENVIRONMENT:

~bits of GLaDOS lie strewn about the neurotoxin-filled room, though her main shape is mostly intact. A group of seven Judoon stand by, while two others seem to have been brutally killed and tossed aside~

DOCTOR:

~steps out, striding towards the Judoon as if he doesn’t see the horrible scene~ do you have the disk—or disks?

JACK:

~steps out of the elevator and quickly follows the Doctor, avoiding looking at the corpses~

JUDOON:

~the closest Judoon simply presents a handful of about five disks placed into a transparent container of some sort~ [the disks have been removed.]

DOCTOR:

[right…] ~walks over and takes the container, briefly glancing back at the corpses~ [what were their names?]

JUDOON:

~turns briefly to look over at the other two on the ground, before looking back at the Doctor~ [why is that of importance?]

DOCTOR:

~explains solemnly~ [it’s a bit of a sentiment… I remember everyone who leaves or dies on my watch. Everyone I failed to save.]

JACK:

~stands by somewhat awkwardly as the conversation continues~

JUDOON:

[I don’t happen to have known their names, you’ll just have to go without. Any other orders?]

DOCTOR:

[you lot can head to another floor, then. We have to get as many survivors out of here as possible.] ~turns to Jack~ Alright… not that I’m not GLaD she’s off, but I’m not sure this can read disks anymore. So, if this mainframe starts acting up we know we have a problem. Let’s hope that system’s still down. If not, we’ll have to fix it.

JACK:

~warily approaches the limp and torn form of GLaDOS, the sight of her making him uneasy~ fix it…?

DOCTOR:

I don’t want to either. But _that’s_ not her. _This_ ~lifts up the disk case~ is Her. Which is why I don’t even trust _myself_ with keeping these disks; because every fiber of my being wants to put Her through what She put us through. Chell knows her as she was better than I do.

JACK:

~nods in understanding~ so is it still possible to put that disk you made in? ~tenderly walks up to the frame, trying to see if there’s a disk port somewhere~

DOCTOR:

Maybe. ~walks over to Her limp form, trying to find where the disk port is that he saw Chell retrieve Her ‘personality disk’ from~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a decent amount of technology inside Her casing has been destroyed beyond repair, but it just so happens that the disk port the Doctor’s looking for is one of the remaining intact ones~

JACK:

~doesn’t seem to notice it for the moment~

DOCTOR:

Warning: it might move. ~tries inserting his disk into the intact disk port, internally relishing in Her condition though he doubts his disk will work~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the disk is accepted into the wrecked mainframe, and there’s a broken-sounding clicking for a few moments before it goes quiet again, the mainframe remaining dormant~

JACK:

~looks at it warily, untrusting~

DOCTOR:

~steps back, projecting his voice upwards~ AI, how many people are in this room? Alive.

ENVIRONMENT:

~the clicking sound comes again, for a shorter duration, before the default announcer voice stutters~

ANNOUNCER:

*T-T-Three.*

JACK:

~starts looking around~

DOCTOR:

~is a little confused~ could be counting itself, or just a bit malfunctional…. ~decidedly speaks to the AI again~ bring the elevator back to this level.

ENVIRONMENT:

~after a moment, the elevator slides back down into its place with open doors~

JACK:

~looks over at it, impressed~ I suppose it works, then.

DOCTOR:

~looks to the elevator~ either that or this is Her most elaborate game yet… I’m not willing to bet on anything, not yet.

JACK:

Alright, what more can we do from here? ~looks around the room~ what about cleaning up the air, that sounds like a good command.

DOCTOR:

~nods a little hesitantly, not convinced as to how much his program can handle~ Alright. Computer, vent and clean the air from the lobby, the mainframe room, and all test chambers and halls.

ANNOUNCER:

*N-neurotoxin.* ~the announcer remarks flatly~

ENVIRONMENT:

~it’s not noticeable right away, but the toxin does start to thin, gradually beginning to dissipate~

DOCTOR:

~nods, smiling proudly and relaxing slightly, mentally checking in with the Master now that they’re in a fairly stable situation~

MASTER:

~seems a bit stressed at the moment, but the Doctor’s findings make him considerably more relaxed, and he tries not to get his hopes up but it’s quite difficult to do so with such positive news. Asks hesitantly if the Doctor’s seen Tav anywhere~

DOCTOR:

~answers in the negative—but he’ll look for her. Stuffs the clear disk case into his bigger-on-the-inside pocket~ alright, should we head to the TARDIS? Finding things will probably be hard without her.

JACK:

~nods~ yep, off we go. ~looks around at the now clear air, but is hesitant to take off his gas mask as he walks toward the elevator~

DOCTOR:

~takes his own mask off, figuring all that could happen is he gets a worse headache and/or passes out. Walks into the elevator, speaking once they’re both inside~ AI, bring the elevator to the lobby.

JACK:

~does the same, holding the mask in the crook of his arm~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the elevator closes, heading up. In the lobby a few of the Judoon are just returning with survivors, three conscious people in lab coats and one Judoon has an unconscious Dr. Holloway slung over their shoulder~

DOCTOR:

~steps out of the elevator, looking between the four scientists. After a second he notices that the unconscious one is Dr. Holloway, hoping he’s alright as he knows he must be alive to have been retrieved. Walks over to open the TARDIS doors~

TARDIS:

~asks if it went well~

JUDOON:

~the Judoon inside stands guard beside Kevin~

KEVIN:

~is sitting on the bench with his face in his hands~

JUDOON:

~the other survivors are ushered into the TARDIS, while the Judoon holding Dr. Holloway simply lays him on the floor; a Judoon turns to talk to the Doctor~ [no others were found alive.]

DOCTOR:

~nods solemnly, checking Holloway’s pulse~ [alright. How much of the facility has been checked?] and Kevin; are you doing alright?

KEVIN:

~looks up from his hands, nodding and speaking~ yeah, I’m okay. Thank you.

JUDOON:

~responds to the Doctor’s question~ [all of the areas that were previously gassed.]~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~the Doctor finds that Holloway has a steady pulse~

JACK:

~steps into the TARDIS and goes over to make sure the other humans are alright~

DOCTOR:

He’ll wake up… ~looks to the Judoon squadron~ [then I believe we can take this from here, then. Thank you for your assistance in this matter, you know I shall never forget.]

JUDOON:

~the Judoon regroup, giving the Doctor a farewell gesture and acknowledgement before teleporting away~

PERSON1:

~one of the surviving humans comes up to the Doctor, looking shaken as he speaks quietly~ who were they?

DOCTOR:

~turns to the human, explaining in a soft tone~ they were alien soldiers. Not the best, but they did help me get rid of GLaDOS. They call themselves the Judoon. I’m sorry for what you all must have witnessed…

PERSON2:

~another woman speaks up, clinging to the third person~ so we can… go? We can leave? ~her voice raises with hope~

JACK:

~goes over to crouch down beside Dr. Holloway to double check on him~

DOCTOR:

~smiles at the woman’s question~ yes: where would you each like to go? ~seems to suddenly realize something~ also tell me the last year you remember being on the surface—the exact date, if you can. I’ll take you all home.

PEOPLE:

~they look at each other in confusion~

PERSON1:

~the first one who had spoken responds~ 2009, of course… should the exact date matter?

DR HOLLOWAY:

~stirs, groaning as he tries to sit up~

JACK:

~helps him~

DOCTOR:

If you were in cryosleep… Jack, what year is it now? And hey, Dr. Holloway, glad to see you conscious.

JACK:

~sits up and peers at his vortex manipulator again~ 2024.

DR HOLLOWAY:

~brings a hand to his head, wincing and asking simply~ how many got out?

DOCTOR:

That were in the gassed areas? No more than you see right now. I’m going to come back to check the rest of Aperture after I take care of you all. ~turns back to the rest of the humans~ do you all agree that it was 2009 or did some of you come from different years? I’m a time traveler, so I can bring you back to a year after you left so you won’t have missed 15 years, but just one—give or take, depending on the date.

PEOPLE:

~the three nod~

KEVIN:

~looks up almost urgently~ no, I’m from this year.

DR HOLLOWAY:

~opens his eyes and looks around at the survivors, murmuring something under his breath before adding~ I as well.

DOCTOR:

~nods, deciding to take those who are from this year home first and striding to the console~ Alright. Kevin, where should I drop you off?

KEVIN:

Will just an address do? ~he asks, a small bit of tremor in his voice~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~shakes his head slightly in hopelessness~

DOCTOR:

~nods to Kevin~ yeah, I can figure it out as long as you tell me the country with it.

KEVIN:

Cooper Ave, Cheshire Michigan, United States. I can find it from there… ~he responds, folding his hands in his lap and looking at his feet~

JACK:

~helps Holloway to stand up, much to the surgeon’s distaste~

DOCTOR:

Alright, then. ~speaks as he sets the TARDIS up to find and land on Cooper Ave~ I recommend you all hold onto something, if you don’t want to be stumbling around here when we’re in flight.

PERSON2:

~the female survivor holds onto a railing, asking in concern~ are there no seat belts on this ship?

PEOPLE:

~Dr. Holloway and the others all find something to anchor themselves to~

JACK:

~comes up to the console to hold the rim~

DOCTOR:

I assure you no one has ever gotten hurt on the TARDIS because it was in flight unless they were clinging to the outside.

JACK:

~chuckles at that~ yeah, thanks for the warm welcome last time.

DR HOLLOWAY:

~furrows his eyebrows in disapproval~ it’s still not very safe.

DOCTOR:

~sighs, speaking in an agitated tone~ fine. If you want to take all the fun out of it, ~turns the stabilizers on as if they’re a complete nuisance~ there. You can all calm down, smooth sailing from here. And yes, Jack, this was always here. ~puts the TARDIS into flight, trying to make a good show out of it despite the fact that he is now grumpy~

PEOPLE:

~they let their grip on their respective parts of railing slip away~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~seems satisfied~ thank you.

MASTER:

~senses the Doctor’s mood and tries to pacify him~

DOCTOR:

~his aggravation diminishes to a mild irritation as he lands his ship thanks to the Master~ this look right to you, Kevin? ~gestures to the door for Kevin to look outside~

KEVIN:

~gets up and strides to the door, looking outside and briefly wiping his eyes~ yes. This is it. Thank you, Doctor. I can’t thank you enough. ~waves slightly, stepping out of the ship~

DOCTOR:

~waves back to Kevin, smiling~ there’s no need to thank me at all. Go be with your family.

KEVIN:

~nods, and gently closes the door behind him~

PEOPLE:

~the three people from 2009 seem to gravitate towards each other and group up~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~looks up after a moment to speak to the Doctor~ well, my case might be a bit of an issue.

DOCTOR:

~looks to Dr. Holloway, thinking his situation certainly can’t be too hard to help~ and why is that?

DR HOLLOWAY:

It’s a long story; let’s get these poor people home first. ~makes a dismissive gesture and glances over at the others~

DOCTOR:

Alright… ~turns to the smallest group of three people~ where to first, then? 2010…

PERSON3:

~the taller of the two males speaks first~ 72 Shirley St, Elkridge Pennsylvania, is my address.

DOCTOR:

~starts putting the new coordinates in~ Alright… 72 Shirley St, Elkridge, Pennsylvania, January 1st, 2010… ~warns the Master that he’s time traveling and will be briefly unreachable, memorizing their current coordinates time wise~

MASTER:

~acknowledges the Doctor’s warning, though he feels a certain amount of uneasiness at the Doctor leaving again~

PEOPLE:

~Dr. Holloway and the others sit quietly~

JACK:

~walks around the console, almost nervously~

DOCTOR:

~notices Jack’s demeanor with a certain level of concern~ is everything alright?

JACK:

Yeah, I don’t know, I just, don’t trust it. ~looks at his hands, stopping his pacing~ it’s hard not to be pessimistic when nothing’s worked this well before.

DOCTOR:

~nods a little solemnly~ I know… ~shakes his head~ but worrying about it right now is a waste of precious time and energy. ~pulls the takeoff lever to fly the TARDIS to their next stop~

JACK:

Probably. ~he agrees, standing in the same spot for the flight until they’ve successfully dropped off the second person, then walking over to stand beside the bench~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~sits himself down there~

DOCTOR:

~goes on to drop off the last two people and come back to their own time period not far from Torchwood but not inside of it this time~

MASTER:

~thanks the Doctor for making his departure brief this time~

DR HOLLOWAY:

To put it plainly, I don’t exactly have a home right at this moment. ~Dr. Holloway glances up at the Doctor~ would you like the details?

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly in understanding~ only if you want to give them; I’ll try to help you either way, if you want me to, of course.

DR HOLLOWAY:

I had intended to find someplace after a day in the facility, but that obviously didn’t work the way I planned. ~makes an outward gesture of helplessness, his gaze focused intently on the floor~

DOCTOR:

~shrugs slightly, offering~ I have ties to pretty much everywhere, so I could probably get you set up with a house and a job… ~knowing nothing he could offer would be ideal~

DR HOLLOWAY:

~considers it for a second, his hands fidgeting around each other before he stands up decidedly with a small sigh~ I’ve built a life for myself from the ground up once before, I can do it again. Thank you, Doctor, ~turns his head as he addresses him~ you’ve done well. ~goes to exit the TARDIS~

DOCTOR:

~his own gaze drops to the floor~ no, I haven’t… ~looks up to the surgeon~ in fact, Dr. Holloway, you’re far more worthy of my title than I.

DR HOLLOWAY:

~pauses and looks back at the Doctor, his hand on the door~ all doctors must face death, it’s what we do. Try to remember those you save, because doing otherwise will only hinder your ability to keep saving. ~gives a solemn nod before stepping out into Cardiff, having no idea where he’s going, only that he’ll make it his home~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head, responding a little bitterly~ Yeah, well, it’s hard to keep that in mind when you’re saving them from yourself… ~putting coordinates in to go back to Aperture~

JACK:

~sets the gas mask on the bench and comes over to the Doctor, putting a hand on his shoulder~ hey, don’t be like that. ~he speaks gently~

DOCTOR:

You don’t know what I did. ~referring to the brutal murder of Caroline, turns the stabilizers off~

JACK:

~backs away at the statement, not particularly wanting to know what the Doctor did so he doesn’t ask. Heads back to the bench, not noticing the Doctor turned the stabilizers back off~

DOCTOR:

Hold on to something. ~pulls the lever to fly the TARDIS as he always has, though he brings a hand to his temple in pain when they land~

JACK:

~stumbles slightly at first, quickly finding a hand hold on a railing for the rest of the ride. Looks at the Doctor in concern~ are you alright?

DOCTOR:

Yeah… turns out drums and loud time travel don’t mix so well; although, really, there’s a very small number of things that work well with the drums.

JACK:

~nods slightly~ …where are we now? Back at Aperture, wherever Chell is? ~asks after a moment~

DOCTOR:

~brings his hand down to his side and looks at the monitor, asking the TARDIS to display a map showing where there are life signs~ we’re back at Aperture. She can’t have gassed everything, and besides, there’s a certain core I know that deserves to see more than Aperture and a wheat field.

TARDIS:

~generates a map as instructed, showing two areas with the walls practically outlined in evenly spaced dots. Elsewhere, there is only one other dot, isolated from the rest~

JACK:

Did you see if the thing you said about transferring the cores into androids worked?

DOCTOR:

No, I haven’t… ~frowns as he looks at the monitor~ everyone who wasn’t in cryosleep… but one. Thousands upon thousands, every test subject and scientist… ~shakes his head, setting the TARDIS to go to the one, turning the brakes off and the stabilizers back on to do the relatively short jump~

TARDIS:  
~shudders as he changes location~

JACK:

~goes over to the doors and cracks them open to look around, opening it fully after a moment and stepping out~

ENVIRONMENT:

~they’re in what looks like a personal office, the chair behind the desk overturned~

DOCTOR:

~strides out behind Jack, looking around for the person~ the survivor should be here…

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a distinct scent of Timelord in the room, fresh~

JACK:

~walks around in a small circle, calling~ hello? ~and there’s no response~

DOCTOR:

~his nostrils flare at the scent and he seems to suddenly get more determined to find this person, searching the room for any sign as to where the person could have gone~

ENVIRONMENT:

~behind the desk, hidden unless one walks around to the other side, the Master is curled up tightly into the space where the chair normally pushes into~

MASTER:

~he’s unconscious, a white lab coat stuffed against his face—an attempt to not suffocate that obviously didn’t work~

DOCTOR:

~freezes when he sees the Master~ I knew I smelled Timelord… but why would you be here now…? ~gets down behind the desk, moving the lab coat away so the Master can breathe easier, mentally trying to contact the Master at home~

MASTER:

~quickly replies back to him, concerned that something went wrong~

JACK:

~walks over to the Doctor when he speaks, peering over behind the desk and muttering~ what the hell...?

DOCTOR:

~mentally explains that he’s looking at the Master unconscious in Aperture~ he’s back from the future, I guess… Not the first time, and the Master’s still at home and fully conscious.

MENTAL:

~the Master that’s conscious suddenly seems to get blotted out as a new link comes into play~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a vending machine for Aperture-brand soda materializes into the room. The door opens wide~

MISSY:

~frolics out of it, suddenly grimacing and tapping her temple~ ooh, that’s a doozy. ~after a moment her link leaves and the original one returns~ well, I’d _love_ to stay and chit-chat but, ~gives a little bounce as she speaks in sing-song~ paradoxes! Come on, be a dear and hand over that devilishly handsome bloke under the desk.

DOCTOR:

~looks between the Master and Missy~ good god, there’s three of you… ~shakes his head briefly, looking at Missy~ but if you were to touch him, it would create a tear in Time. You know that.

MISSY:

~she scoffs and speaks matter-of-factly~ well of _course._ ~gestures helplessly at the Doctor~ here I thought you’d still be able to think for yourself.

JACK:

~stands there dumbfounded at what’s going on~

MISSY:

~looks between the two of them urgently, spreading her hands~ well?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliffhanger i guess ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	25. Free

DOCTOR:

Are you going to tell me _why_ or are you going to expect for me to blindly trust you; because, last time, trusting you costed me a whole lot, Mistress.

MISSY:

~pouts slightly in mock distress~ well, I’m not going to be unconscious forever and what am I going to do if there’s no one to take me back to my hubby? Can’t go with you, because you can’t know the future, sweetie.

JACK:

~finds words again after a moment~ who is she? ~glances desperately at the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~sighs~ I guess I don’t have much choice… if this is more of your goddamned hypnotic trickery, I swear… ~carefully gathers the Master into his arms bridal style~ oh and Jack, she’s Missy, short for Mistress. Known to you as the Master.

JACK:

~his eyes flick back and forth between Missy and the Master, about to point out the problem but decidedly closes his mouth and simply looks perplexed~

MISSY:

~gives the Doctor a wide berth to allow him to enter the soda-machine-disguised-Tav~ thank you, dearest. I am ever-so-grateful. ~gives a little curtsy~

DOCTOR:

No problem. ~carries the Master into Tav, glancing around for a place to set him, reminded of how plain the initial TARDIS interior is~

MISSY:

Oh just any old spot will do, I don’t mind. ~peers around the door to speak to the Doctor~ as long as I’m not in my way, mind you.

DOCTOR:

~nods, taking the Master over by a wall and gently setting him down there before going to walk out~ so, why _are_ both yous here?

MISSY:

~boops the Doctor on the nose on his way out~ tsk tsk; I told you it’s classified! Be a good boy and wait your turn. ~skips into Tav after the Doctor exits~

DOCTOR:

~indignantly walks back to Jack’s side, though his pride’s really just a show meant for Jack~ I’ll see you then… I hope.

MISSY:

Toodles. ~waves at him with her fingers, closing the door and shortly afterward the vending machine starts to dematerialize~

JACK:

~glances at the Doctor and the space where Tav used to be in an awkward fashion, not knowing what to say~

DOCTOR:

~sighs almost sadly, shaking his head~ she’s completely mad… Guess he always has been, but… ~starts towards the TARDIS thoughtfully~

JACK:

~follows the Doctor, treading lightly, and trying to bring the discussion to a topic he can comprehend easier~ so are we going to go find those people in cryosleep?

DOCTOR:

I’m honestly not sure what to do with them… Chances are they’re either Her creations or leftover human test subjects with nothing to wake up to… I don’t want to leave them here, of course…

JACK:

Let’s just check them first, to figure out what we’re dealing with. ~reaches back to close the door when they enter the TARDIS~

MASTER:  
~seems worried and confused by the previous paradoxical encounter~

DOCTOR:

~strides to the console, not responding to the Master as he sets the TARDIS to go to one of the rooms lined with life signs~

JACK:

~follows at a leisurely pace, stopping a few feet away from the console with his hands in his pockets, remaining silent~

DOCTOR:

~pulls the takeoff lever, more of his thoughts and feelings getting blocked from the Master the more he thinks~

MASTER:

~when the Doctor’s thoughts become noticeably blocked the Master starts to get concerned, asking if there’s something bothering him~

DOCTOR:

~responds to the Master with an almost angered “yes”, trying to recompose himself mentally once he notices his own tone~

MASTER:

~mentally shies away at the Doctor’s tone, asking after a moment if he can help in any way~

JACK:

~goes over to open the TARDIS door when she lands, stepping out onto a catwalk and looking around at the pods covering the walls of the chamber~

DOCTOR:

~doesn’t move from the console immediately, shaking his head and answering in the negative before starting towards the entrance~

JACK:

~glances back at the Doctor and steps out of the way of the door, looking at the pods again~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the room practically reeks of the semi-Timelord scent~

JACK:

~doesn’t notice~ what do you make of it?

DOCTOR:

~his nose scrunches up slightly at the smell as he steps out next to Jack~ it’s GLaDOS’ attempt at Timelords… She never quite got there, there’s a planet She dumped them all on last time I can take these guys to…

TARDIS:

~triumphantly points out that only one level down from where they currently are is the panel that GLaDOS had had the Doctor set up previously, with a portal still open to the planet he’s talking about~

DOCTOR:

~nods, acknowledging the TARDIS’ statement~ well, that’s convenient… ~looks up to the ceiling~ AI? Open all cryosleep chambers in this room.

ANNOUNCER:

*Aff-firmative.* ~comes the automated response, weak but still audible~

ENVIRONMENT:

~shortly after, there’s a chorus of hisses throughout the room, and the chambers open; releasing hundreds of beings who don’t all stumble out of the chambers at first~

DOCTOR:

~walks over to the nearest chamber, worried by the delay but only to a small extent~

WOMAN:

~a young woman is exiting the nearest chamber, and her wonder-filled gaze locks onto the Doctor; she stumbles to him, reaching out to touch him and telepathically interact with him, as all of the others seem to be doing~

JACK:

~seems to be liking the attention as he’s pulled into the unclothed, non-verbal crowd as well~ hey there, everybody.

DOCTOR:

~easily accepts the physical and mental contact, telling the woman about the portal and asking her to spread the word, giving her a friendly smile on the verge of flirtatious~

WOMAN:

~blinks and blushes slightly, returning the smile shyly before reaching out to another nearby person without taking her other hand away from the Doctor’s arm~

CROWD:

~the contact moves on down into the rest of the group as the message is passed~

JACK:

~watches it, his gaze flicking over to the Doctor, its starting point~ what’d you do?

DOCTOR:

~speaks to Jack easily, mentally quite distracted from his previous troubles~ I told her—there’s a portal to the planet where the rest of the not-quite-Timelords went when I saved a group of them before. They all communicate solely through telepathy which is only possible with physical contact. For a Timelord, at least.

JACK:

Hm… ~looks around at the silent people, understanding now~

WOMAN:

~looks at the Doctor curiously as his mouth moves to form words, moving her own experimentally as she prods a few curious fingers at his lips and tongue, mentally asking how he does that~

DOCTOR:

~after a short moment of letting her conduct her curious inspection, brings a hand up to gently take the woman’s wrist away from his mouth, mentally trying his best to explain how to talk~

WOMAN:

~her brow furrows in concentration, letting the Doctor simply hold onto her wrist as she makes a humming noise in the back of her throat, slowly progressing into a sound~ aha! ~she exclaims victoriously, grinning widely~

DOCTOR:

~smiles warmly, his hand moving to hold her hand rather than her wrist~ yeah! There you go. ~supplying the definition of what he’s saying mentally~

WOMAN:

~laughs giddily, entwining her fingers with the Doctor’s as she gives it another go, trying to repeat something the Doctor said after compiling a few sounds each of which she gives a bit of individual practice time for~ yeah.

CROWD:

~the other Semi-Timelords are moving in the general direction of the portal by now~

WOMAN:

~seems too caught up in speaking to the Doctor to notice~

DOCTOR:

~nods happily, confirming that she said it correctly, speaking slowly so the woman might be able to repeat after him~ hello.

WOMAN:

~nods as the Doctor speaks, meeting his gaze intently as she squints in focus and tries to mimic his mouth movements~ Ha… oh, hal—hello?

DOCTOR:

Right! ~once again mentally relays the word’s meaning, practically bouncing in excitement for this woman he just met~

WOMAN:

~smiles proudly, letting the hand holding the Doctor’s rest at her side as she relaxes and rests her head on the Doctor’s chest, listening for his heartbeats. Mentally asks what his name is~

DOCTOR:

~flinches faintly at the gesture he recognizes as one the Master has made several times for comfort, responding to the woman with “I’m the Doctor; you?” More reserved than before~

WOMAN:

~furrows her eyebrows slightly in whimsical thought; eventually concludes that the Doctor is an interesting sort of name; all she has is the number “6188”~

DOCTOR:

~explains what “Doctor” means, generally and promise-wise, so ‘6188’ can understand it~

6188:

~nods in understanding, speaking softly~ oh. ~lifts her head from the Doctor’s chest, looks around and sees that most of the others have left~

JACK:

~is down by the portal helping the stragglers through to the other planet~

6188:

~looks back at the Doctor and asks if names normally have meanings like that~

DOCTOR:

~answers with the fact that it depends on the culture—which there are billions of. Hesitates to add something, knowing that if he brings a woman home the Master will be reasonably pissed off~

6188:

~she listens to the Doctor’s thoughts for a moment, trying to assimilate as many words as she can and eventually choosing a simple one to try to express a question rather than thinking it~ why?

DOCTOR:

~speaks mentally and verbally, his tone soft~ why what? Why would the Master be pissed off? Because he’s possessive and would consider it cheating on him.

MASTER:

~obtrudes with a small, polite “what?”~

6188:

~the woman mentally conveys that she doesn’t understand the issue the Doctor’s describing; lets her hand slip out of the Doctor’s, her other hand placed against his shoulder so she’s still telepathically connected~

DOCTOR:

~tells the Master that he’s just getting the semi-Timelords through the portal, then tells 6188 that she should leave through the portal though it’s mentally clear he doesn’t want to~

6188:

~looks at the Doctor in distress, confused and scared about going to some other world without knowing a thing about how to live; protests that she’s only just started to learn how to speak, she can’t leave now~

DOCTOR:

~sighs, saying he’ll see what he can do, mentally letting the Master know the situation he’s in~

MASTER:

~thinks for a moment, having no outstanding objections and telling the Doctor that he made an assumption about him being angry, wondering to himself what he’s done to earn that assumption and seeming almost apologetic~

DOCTOR:

~acknowledges the Master’s response, apologizing in a joking tone for making assumptions—which he said he wouldn’t do~

JACK:

~calls up from the level below, the last person heading into the portal~ hey Doc, any others?

DOCTOR:

Well, technically one, but she doesn’t want to leave… which may be kind of my fault. It’s fine, though. ~mentally explains what’s going on as it’s happening to 6188~

6188:

~she nods enthusiastically, stepping away from the Doctor and leaning over the railing to call down to Jack in a strong voice~ hello!

JACK:

~looks up at her, startled~

DOCTOR:

~grins in pride, walking over next to 6188 and calling to Jack~ she’ll hang with us, at least for now.

JACK:

~raises his eyebrows slightly before shrugging, making his way up the stairs and back towards the two of them~ alright.

6188:

~seems distressed for a moment, putting her hand on the Doctor’s arm to telepathically understand what he just said~

DOCTOR:

~easily gives the information, also explaining that Jack can’t naturally communicate through telepathy~

6188:

~nods slowly, seeming amused by that last fact~

JACK:

~walks up to them~ right, where to next? ~gives the lady a small flirtatious wink~

DOCTOR:

So, it’s either androids or the other room of people… ~starts towards the TARDIS as he answers Jack~ I don’t particularly care which order we do it in.

6188:

~follows, holding onto the Doctor’s arm~

JACK:

We know where the people are, so I’d say that’s the next simplest thing… ~trails off~

ANNOUNCER:

~there’s a faint comment from the mainframe over the speakers~ *e-emergency protocol acti-ivated.*

DOCTOR:

Emergency-!? Computer, what is emergency protocol!?

ANNOUNCER:

*Facility will shut down a-and [static] life support will-will be cut, [static] the original emergency protocol has been modified as of—month, eleven, day, two, zero, year, two, zero, t-two, four.*

DOCTOR:

November 20th… a month ago… computer, how long have test subjects 146 and 453 been in Aperture? ~not sure if his AI can answer the question~

ANNOUNCER:

*Five- [static] two- [static] ye—mon-th [static]* ~after a moment of struggling, the AI gives up~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the lights in the room shut down, along with all of the lights in the cryosleep chambers indicating that they were ready to support life~

6188:

~clings to the Doctor’s arm and gives a small whimper of fear~

ENVIRONMENT:

~all of the familiar background noise of Aperture gradually quiets to absolute silence~

DOCTOR:

~quickly opens the TARDIS doors to go in and to the console as he realizes he’ll lose hundreds more lives if he doesn’t act fast~

JACK:

~quickly strides into the TARDIS after the Doctor, closing the door and shutting out the darkness beyond~ life support being cut… doesn’t that mean we’ve got a problem concerning the cryosleep chambers?

6188:

~lets go of the Doctor and looks around the TARDIS with a fascinated grin~

DOCTOR:

~swiftly sets the TARDIS to go to the other room of cryosleep chambers~ if we take too long, hundreds more will probably die. ~pulls the takeoff lever to fly the TARDIS~

6188:

~stumbles when the TARDIS goes into flight, stepping back and watching the Doctor fly her with interest, not understanding the whole situation~

JACK:

~Moves out of the way and furrows his eyebrows in worry~ why have an emergency protocol that cuts off life support for the people in cryosleep…?

DOCTOR:

To end it all if something went wrong, I suppose… what unnerves me most is the only people I can think of that would have done it… ~lands the TARDIS and strides out~

JACK:

~follows quickly, pausing to motion for 6188 to stay behind, hoping she understands the gesture as he exits the TARDIS and steps out into another pitch-black room~ who? ~speaks softly~

DOCTOR:

A month ago… could’ve been Caroline, but she’d never destroy this place. Could’ve been Chell, but She had no reason to. The only person who seems to fit is the Master. Again. Always… ~goes to check the nearest chamber as soon as he can find it, carefully using his other senses to get around~

JACK:

~seems a bit confused by the way the Doctor worded the end of his answer, being careful not to fall down over a railing or something as he follows the Doctor’s footsteps~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the nearest chamber seems closed but empty~

DOCTOR:

~methodically checks next to the chamber, assuming the chambers are lined up~ and I bet the AI’s down too, now…

ENVIRONMENT:

~all of the chambers seem to be closed, but not all are empty; these specimens are different though, encased in a strange liquid that the Doctor is able to smell rather than see~

JACK:

Probably… ~agrees with a small sigh of defeat~

DOCTOR:

~seems rather confused as he speaks~ these don’t smell human or Timelord… or anywhere in-between, for that matter…

JACK:

It would help if we could see. Is there any way to open the—eugh… ~grimaces in disgust as he steps in some of the slime-like liquid, feeling around and finding that one of the pods has been opened and is empty~

DOCTOR:

~follows Jack’s voice~ what is it? ~finds the opened pod and floor slime, scooping some slime up on his finger to inspect it~ hm…

ENVIRONMENT:

~the stuff seems like the same substance that Caroline was covered in when Chell moved her consciousness back into her human body~

JACK:

I don’t know… this pod’s open, though. ~he replies~

DOCTOR:

It’s preservative… live person preservative, but still… ~goes to try to open another chamber, not yet understanding why the open chamber is important~

ENVIRONMENT:

~the chamber next to it remains steadfastly closed~

JACK:

~cautiously feels around inside of the open one~ well, if someone used to be in here they aren’t anymore. Nothing. ~shrugs and wipes his hand off on his pants~

DOCTOR:

Well, I can’t get any of the others open like this… ~looks over at the TARDIS~ maybe if I had my sonic I could get them open.

ENVIRONMENT:

~a banging against the glass echoes from across the room, and soon most of the people are gaining consciousness and fumbling about inside the pods~

JACK:

~looks around at the new sounds~ what’s going on? ~asks in a somewhat panicked tone~

DOCTOR:

They’re awake and they can’t get out—they’re probably suffocating. ~runs to the TARDIS, going to try and retrieve the sonic or some other tool—anything they could use to save them~

TARDIS:

~says that she might be able to make a new sonic but not in this short amount of time; mentions the Doctor’s toolbox under the floor, which might have something useful~

6188:

~looks at the Doctor in concern~

DOCTOR:

~opens and goes under the floor, retrieving the ancient toolbox and opening it, taking some of the more basic metal tools, his plan by now just being to break as many people out as possible before they suffocate~

JACK:

~comes in, offering his hand for the Doctor to hand him something he can use to help~ we breaking them out?

DOCTOR:

~easily hands over the hammer~ yup, my plan’s been reduced to ‘hit it with a stick’. ~strides out of the TARDIS, running to the first chamber he finds with a person in it to break it open~

JACK:

~does the same, taking a swing at the glass of the next pod to shatter it and quickly moving on down the line to the right, not stopping to check and see if there are people there or not as that would waste time~

ENVIRONMENT:

~a few of those who are freed gasp for air while the rest of the pounding noises gradually fade~

DOCTOR:

~shatters as many chambers as he can, not stopping even after the rest of the area is silent, determined beyond any ability to acknowledge his surroundings~

JACK:

~stops before the Doctor, noticing that they’ve done all they can when the only sound he hears is the Doctor’s smashing of glass and the breathing of the survivors~ Doctor… ~calls to him~

ENVIRONMENT:

~one of the pods is smashed particularly well and a dead body limply falls out directly onto the Doctor~

DOCTOR:

~pushes the body off of him reflexively, hearing the sickening thud of a dead body and finally stopping, knowing it’s over~ damnit… ~shakes his head, the death toll of his mission beginning to make him regret it~ everyone who’s alive, say something—if you can speak, of course…

SURVIVORS:

~a chorus of about ten to fifteen different voices bounces back to the Doctor, a few different things being said, but the most prominent question seems to be~ what’s going on?

DOCTOR:

~answers the people—humans, most likely, though it’s next to impossible to smell more than the slime they were stored in~ Aperture’s been shut down. Emergency protocol was activated. What’s the last year each of you remember?

SURVIVORS:

~there’s a bit of confused muttering, and slightly louder comments of years like 1984 and 1997, 1997 being the most commonly spoken~

DOCTOR:

~murmurs to himself~ that’s between 27 and 40 years ago… ten, fifteen people… ~speaks in a louder, clearer tone~ alright, everyone see the glowing rectangles? Go towards those. ~starts towards the TARDIS solemnly~

JACK:

~falls back to make sure everyone is out before following the others up to the TARDIS~

SURVIVORS:

~as they step into the light, they do appear to be human, but covered in a greenish slime~

6188:

~backs up as they enter the console room, looking almost afraid~

SURVIVORS:

~they look around the room in awe, talking amongst themselves in hushed tones~

DOCTOR:

~walks to 6188, gently setting a hand on her shoulder to telepathically explain what’s going on~ I’m going to take you all home if you have a home to go to, but perhaps you’d prefer to shower first.

6188:

~relaxes and her expression changes to one of concern as she backs up to be out of the way~

SURVIVORS:

~the people look at themselves as if suddenly noticing their nakedness and slimy skin, shifting uncomfortable with grimaces of disgust and quick replies of affirmation~

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly as he speaks~ alright, I have a few showers, they’re in the same room, so you’ll have to just get over yourselves and act in a respectable manner. ~taking a head count of the slimy humans~ though I can supply you all with clothing afterward.

SURVIVORS:

~murmurs of “sure” and “okay” and “lead the way” come from the small crowd of 12 people, seeming relieved by the Doctor’s offer of clothing~

JACK:

~walks in, closing the door and walking around the console to the Doctor~ want me to come with?

DOCTOR:

~shrugs slightly~ if you want to. ~starts towards the hallway, gesturing for the people to follow~ oh, and don’t wander the TARDIS hallways, please! When you’re done with the shower you can either come back to the console room or stay in the right near the entrance of the bathroom.

JACK:

~helps herd the people after the Doctor, making sure none of them get left behind or lost on the way over to the bathroom~

6188:

~decidedly follows after Jack, trailing behind the rest of the people curiously~

DOCTOR:

~once they get to the bathroom he opens the door and starts to usher people in~ there’s a closet in there that holds all the towels—any extra soap, shampoo, etcetera will also be in that closet.

PEOPLE:

~the people file inside the spacious bathroom, talking amongst themselves~

JACK:

~follows the last one but just up to the door, where he stops~ I hope we don’t need someone to chaperone them. ~glances back when 6188 walks up~

6188:

~treading lightly as she tilts her head to peer inside the bathroom, her naturally wavy dark tresses falling over her shoulder~

DOCTOR:

~turns to Jack as he speaks~ I assume they can handle themselves for now. It’s just taking a shower—as long as no one wanders, it should be fine.

JACK:

~nods slightly, gesturing to the woman after a moment~ we going to get her some clothes?

6188:

~looks back at Jack as if he’s declared a staring contest~

DOCTOR:

~brings a hand to 6188’s arm to explain what’s being said, shrugging to Jack~ I suppose so… ~glancing back at 6188 for her input~

6188:

~she turns to face the Doctor, smiling cheerfully as she pushes up onto her toes to reach the top of his head. Removes his hat and firmly puts it on her own head, the thing half-covering her eyes as she giggles and nods~

DOCTOR:

~chuckles and shakes his head quickly so his hair doesn’t stay flattened in the shape of the hat, but rather its usual form of bedraggled~ okay then, no reason to wait around for these guys to get done, let’s go. ~starting down the hall~

6188:

~hurries after the Doctor on tiptoe, holding the fedora by the brim in case it tries to fall off her head, though it’s unlikely~

JACK:

~follows behind at a slightly swerving walk, tilting his head as a smirk turns up the corner of his mouth, obviously enjoying getting mooned~

DOCTOR:

~glances back briefly, noticing Jack’s demeanor and rolling his eyes, his voice coming in the same agitated warning tone he used to use when Jack introduced himself to people~ Jack.

JACK:

~pries his eyes away, rolling them~ alright, alright! Geez. ~puts his hands in his pockets and focuses on the Doctor’s hat instead~

DOCTOR:

~walks along through the halls to the wardrobe, opening the door once they’re there~ and here we are.

6188:

~tilts the hat back in order to look up at the vast array of clothing, eyes wide in fascination~

JACK:

~walks in to stand beside her, looking around~ right, where to start?

DOCTOR:

~shrugs, replying~ well, it’s not like anything’s off-limits. ~steps over to 6188’s other side, resting a hand on her shoulder with a friendly smile to tell her that she can feel free to look around and try on whatever she likes~

6188:

~nods enthusiastically, taking off the fedora and fitting it back onto the Doctor’s head before prancing off to look between the racks of clothing~

JACK:

Where do you get all these clothes from anyway? ~he asks, looking around and picking through a nearby rack curiously~

DOCTOR:

I think you forget I’m over 900 years old, and I had a childhood and presents from family and friends and companions that didn’t want to wear the same clothes constantly and go shopping at alien places… it’s all accumulative.

JACK:

~nods slightly, content to sift through the nearby racks~

~•~

6188:

~steps back out, wearing a silky red-and-gold medieval dress, everything on correctly except for the front laces which need to be tied. She tilts her head inquisitively at the Doctor as if asking what he thinks~

DOCTOR:

~turns to 6188 when she comes into view, smiling softly~ {beautiful.} ~walks over to tie the front laces for her~

6188:

~her eyes seem to light up when the Doctor uses Gallifreyan, grinning as he helps her finish getting dressed~ {thank you.} ~looks up at him in excitement~

DOCTOR:

~is surprised at her easy use of Gallifreyan~ {How—when did you learn Gallifreyan?} ~finishes tying the laces~

6188:

{I know it.} ~she explains, smiling happily and nearly bouncing out of excitement for discovering something new about herself~

DOCTOR:

~subconsciously analyzes the scent of the air near 6188, finding how Timelord she seems painfully close to the real thing but giving a warm smile~ {that’s great!}

JACK:

~peers out from behind a rack of clothes, looking at the two of them in confusion~ what are you guys talking about?

6188:

~giggles slightly~

DOCTOR:

~looks over at Jack as if he had completely forgotten that he was there~ Oh; apparently she knows Gallifreyan but only realizes it when I used Gallifreyan.

JACK:

Ah. ~Nods slightly, then gestures towards the door~ there’s a few people out by the bathroom who are done, I just checked.

DOCTOR:

Well then, let’s get them over here. ~starts towards the door, trying not to think too much about his old Gallifreyan home or his dream aboard the Valiant~

6188:

~follows after the Doctor, seeming the happiest she’s ever been~

JACK:

~goes on ahead and leads the way back over to the bathroom. Gestures to the four people standing there wrapped in towels~ over this way!

DOCTOR:

~when they get there the Doctor’s become thoughtful, staring at the floor and absentmindedly following Jack, hardly realizing that they’re on their way back even when they all turn around and start walking back~

6188:

~notices the Doctor’s actions, and strides forward to be beside him~ {Doctor?} ~nudges him, looking up at him in concern~

DOCTOR:

~shakes his head briefly, giving 6188 a small smile after he has snapped himself out of his trance~ {yes?}

6188:

{You seem distracted.} ~returns the Doctor’s smile as they reach the wardrobe doorway again, stepping to the side to allow the humans to walk through and find something to wear~

DOCTOR:

~nods slightly~ {I’ve got a lot on my mind, but nothing you should worry about.}

6188:

{Okay.} ~nods back, dismissing it and watching as a few more people come out of the bathroom~

PEOPLE:

~they automatically follow the others toward the wardrobe~

6188:

~looks over at the Doctor again, curious~ {who is the Master?}

DOCTOR:

~chuckles slightly, answering~ {the Master’s my lover. He’s a Timelord, a bit stubborn but I love him…}

6188:

~smiles at the Doctor’s chuckle~ {where is he now?}

DOCTOR:

{at home. On the surface with our son, Alan.} ~seems to grow a little worried but shrugs it off, figuring that if anything was wrong the Master would contact him~

6188:

~gives a small hum of acknowledgement, smiling warmly~

PEOPLE:

~the last of the humans finish their showers~

JACK:

~walks out of the wardrobe with a few of those who have dressed themselves~ we ready to start making trips?

DOCTOR:

~nods, once again warning the Master that he’ll be time traveling as he turns to head to the console room~ so; I’ll need the last year each of you remember and your address to take you back.

MASTER:

~acknowledges the Dcotor’s warning, seeming too worn out to include any other comments~

PEOPLE:

~the three dressed people all give the same year, 1997~

MAN:

~adds another question~ how are you able to take us back…? You said it’s been near 20 years…

DOCTOR:

This is a time machine as well as a space ship. I’ll take you three to 1998 so you don’t cross paths with yourself and you’ll have the life Aperture tried to take away… in a way, you’re lucky so few survived. If there were hundreds of people I wouldn’t have been able to do more than bring you all up to the wheat field above Aperture without creating a massive wave in Time.

PERSON2:

Time travel? ~another asks, astonished; he is quieted by a fourth person exiting the wardrobe~

PEOPLE:

~they all suddenly seem paranoid about asking more questions~

DOCTOR:

It’s not human technology, I’m just a freelancing alien who likes Earth and humans. Not going to spoil anything for you, though. ~turns into the console room~ so, who’s first?

JACK:

~stays behind to direct the remaining humans~

6188:

~follows behind one of the ones following the Doctor~

PERSON1:

~the first person who had asked a question gives the Doctor an address~

~•~

DOCTOR:

~takes each of the humans home, minus Jack, landing the TARDIS roughly ten minus after they left near Torchwood~ so what now?

JACK:

Well, we were going to do something with the disks… and you were planning something with the cores…  


DOCTOR:

Yes; I’ll handle the disks on my own—Chell’s honestly terrifying and I don’t know how she’ll take it and it’s really my fault. As for the cores, that’s going to be a longer process with the power down… ~paces slightly~

JACK:

Think maybe we can get it back up? ~offers helpfully, watching the Doctor pace~ we should have plenty of time now; you could write up a new program, maybe after analyzing the disks so it doesn’t have to be in binary, and replace the disk in the mainframe.

DOCTOR:

~nods thoughtfully~ if only I knew what activated emergency protocol… also, Alan’s exhausting the Master, so I don’t want to leave them there for too much longer…

6188:

~looks up at the Doctor from where she sits on the bench, recognizing the Master and Alan’s names~

JACK:

~nods knowingly~ we don’t need to rush right now; you could pay them a visit, I can take the disks if you don’t mind and look into it while you’re gone.

DOCTOR:

As long as you’re careful, I have no objections. ~takes the plastic container out of his pocket, turning to 6188~ {you can either come with me to my place or go with Jack to his. Whichever you want.}

JACK:

~nods~ as careful as humanly possible.

6188:

~looks almost amused by the fact that this question is being asked~ {you, of course!}

DOCTOR:

~grins and nods, handing over the disks to Jack~

JACK:  
~takes the disks and smiles at the Doctor, giving him a little two-fingered salute before stepping outside of the TARDSI and closing the door~

6188:

~looks over at the Doctor~ {what’s it like outside?}

DOCTOR:

{That depends on where you are—planet, population of the immediate area… we’re going to a city, London. Oh, I should warn you, Alan has a sort of mental disorder and he has extraordinary telepathic abilities and I think he’s hallucinating as well…} ~his tone grows worried when he talks about his son~

6188:

~stands and gives the Doctor a sympathetic look, walking over to gently place a hand on his shoulder. Then turns to the console, looking up the TARDIS’ column~ {can you teach me how you fly her?}

DOCTOR:

~smiles at that~ {not all in one go, but certainly. And I can do the fun way rather than this dull-yet-correct way.} ~turns off the stabilizers and the breaks on, saying what he’s doing as he does it~ {and _this_ is the takeoff lever. Would you like to do the honors?}

6188:

~immediately goes and pulls the lever down, grinning widely with excitement as the TARDS takes off, almost falling before grabbing hold of the rim and laughing as the TARDIS rocks~

DOCTOR:

~smiles happily as he runs about the console flamboyantly with over-exaggerated flourishes, speaking over the noise of the TARDIS~ {also; the Master speaks Gallifreyan, Alan doesn’t much—not yet, anyway.}

6188:

~still smiling as the TARDIS quiets down and settles into a landing, gets her footing and lets go of the rim~ {we can teach him, yes?}

DOCTOR:

{I don’t see any problem with that.} ~starts towards the TARDIS doors, striding out onto the sidewalk in front of their house, finding the Master’s closer presence reassuring~

6188:

~follows the Doctor out, stopping and looking around at the dark sky and moon in awe, then walking up to the railing next to their front door and feeling it lightly with her hands, fascinated~

DOCTOR:

~walks up to the door, smiling as he opens it, the reality of their situation slowly dawning on him—they might really be free after all this time~ Master, Alan, I’m back!

ALAN:

~is sitting on the steps in front of the door, messing with a paper clip as he looks up to the Doctor~ bonsoir, papa. ~seems to be speaking French~

DOCTOR:

~raises his eyebrows slightly~ French? Well then, bonsoir. Où est ton père? (where is your father?)

ALAN:

~gestures over towards the kitchen without a moment of hesitation~

MASTER:

~is sitting beside the table, indeed seeming exhausted, his face in his hands; looks over when the Doctor speaks, but doesn’t say anything~

ALAN:

~sees 6188~ qui est-elle? (who is she?)

DOCTOR:

Elle est l’une des tentatives de GLaDOS de créer un Timelord. Elle n’a pas de nom, mais son numéro d’identification est 6188. (She is one of the attempts of GLaDOS to create a Timelord. She does not have a name, but her identification number is 6188.) ~looks over to the Master, concerned, walking over~ hey, you alright?

MASTER:

~nods, resting one hand on his cheek and setting the other down onto the table~ Alan’s just been a little hard to handle. ~the cuts on his face seem to have been rebandaged~

6188:

~walks into the house slowly, smiling at Alan and using her English word to greet him~ hello.

ALAN:

~waves back, busy with his paperclip~

DOCTOR:

You can head up and get some rest; Jack’s looking over the disks from GLaDOS and the survivors are back home. All that’s left in Aperture is a few cores.

ALAN:

Pas vrai. (not true.) ~he speaks as soon as the Doctor’s finished, looking up from the paperclip he’s bending into a strange shape~

MASTER:

~looks over and sighs~ he picked up French from someone we passed in the tube; hasn’t spoken English since.

DOCTOR:

~his temperament wavers at Alan’s statement, but he keeps his calm~ well, all that’s left with an energy signature. And at least he’s speaking and making sense. He learned a new language and therefore wants to use it, I don’t see a problem with that.

ALAN:

Les humains meurent facilement, non? D’accord… (humans die easily, no? Okay…) ~seems to be talking to himself now~

MASTER:

~wearily pushes himself to his feet, walking over to Alan and picking him up, prying the paperclip out of his hands~

ALAN:

Père, arrêtez! (Father, stop!) ~he cries, trying to grasp the object again~

DOCTOR: 

~walks over to the Master, looking to see what Alan was making, concerned for his family, not for a second forgetting that She made Alan’s brain like this—She took a normal childhood from his son, She’s still hurting them even though She’s gone~ 

MASTER: 

~takes the paperclip and tosses it onto the kitchen table~ 

PAPERCLIP: 

~the thing has the springy loop of a safety pin, while the ends are bent into two sharp barbs~ 

6188: 

~backs away from the commotion~ 

ALAN: 

~tries to push himself out of the Master’s hold, getting increasingly angry and eventually letting out a high-pitched screech of frustration as he brings a hand back~ 

DOCTOR: 

~grabs Alan’s wrist quickly and firmly, his disappointment in the child blatantly obvious~ Alan, that’s enough. ~his tone far less soft than normal~ 

MASTER: 

~quietly releases a held breath, more scared of Alan’s capabilities than he lets on~ 

ALAN: 

~pulls against the Doctor’s hold slightly, but then stops and meets the Doctor’s gaze~ when? 

DOCTOR: 

When what? ~sounds more curious than anything, but doesn’t let go of Alan’s hand~ 

ALAN: 

When is it enough? ~growls back, his other hand moving to try to grapple with the Doctor~ 

MASTER: 

~takes a hold of it, looking at the Doctor in a sort of desperation~ 

DOCTOR: 

~almost snaps, instead his expression loses any emotion and he speaks in a steady, equally cold tone~ don’t be vague with me, son. 

ALAN: 

~quiets down, speaking softly and almost in concern~ la vengeance vous satisferait-elle, papa? Sera-t-il suffisant? (Would vengeance satisfy you, Daddy? Will it be enough?) 

DOCTOR: 

Ce n’est pas seulement à propos de nous, il s’agit de milliers d’autres. Des gens que je n’ai pas pu sauver, des gens que j’ai blessés à cause d’elle. La mort est trop bonne pour elle… (It's not just about us, it's about thousands more. People I could not save, people I hurt because of her. Death is too good for her…) 

ALAN:

~looks to the Master, smiling as he reports~ Daddy’s being a bad doctor.

MASTER:

~looks back at Alan in confusion, and glances over at the Doctor for an explanation. His grip on Alan’s hand loosens~

DOCTOR:

~responds in an unstable tone~ I haven’t done anything deserving of that title since we started, why start now? I’m not letting Her get off easy.

MASTER:

~shakes his head and tries to pull Alan’s wrist out of the Doctor’s grasp gently~ please, just stop all this.

DOCTOR:

~easily lets go of his son’s wrist, as if he had forgotten what he was doing. Looks at the Master, not really knowing how to respond in his horribly conflicting mental state~

MASTER:

~sighs and adjusts his grip around Alan, turning and starting up the stairs~

ALAN:

~looks back at the Doctor over the Master’s shoulder, his gaze piercing~

DOCTOR:

~looks at the floor, trying to think and decide what he’s going to do. Seems to suddenly remember 6188’s here~ {sorry about all this…}

6188:

~looks at the Doctor sympathetically, remaining quiet for a moment before offering~ {is there any way I can help?}

DOCTOR:

~sighs, shaking his head~ {probably not… seems every time one problem ends a more complicated one begins.}

6188:

{I can try…} ~frowns, stepping forward to walk up the stairs~

ENVIRONMENT:

~there’s a bit of commotion from Alan’s room~

MASTER:

~mentally assures the Doctor that he’s got things under control~

DOCTOR:

{no, really, Alan’s dangerous.} ~starts up the steps after 6188, acknowledging the Master but doubting him~

6188:

{He’s just a child…} ~concerned, follows the sounds to Alan’s room~

MASTER:

~is trying to keep from being kicked in the stomach as Alan is held down on his bed; the Master is trying to speak to him in soothing tones~

6188:

~walks in and gently steps between the two, keeping clear of Alan’s feet and reaching out to touch his cheek, quieting him as they speak telepathically~

DOCTOR:

~walks in after her, surprised by her ability to handle the situation but worried for her safety~

MASTER:

~backs up slightly, looking on in concern~

6188:

~sits down on the bed and helps Alan up into a sitting position~

ALAN:

~calmly crawls into her lap, pulling her down by her neck to touch foreheads with her~

6188:

~lets him do as he wishes, rubbing a hand comfortingly up and down Alan’s back~

DOCTOR:

~seems to be in awe of Alan’s calm and the fact that 6188 seems fine, glancing over at the Master and mentally apologizing~

MASTER:

~mentally waves it off, taking a small step back to be close enough to reach over and grasp the Doctor’s hand, his relief for the much needed physical contact noticeable through their link~

6188:

~continues to silently comfort Alan, both of their eyes remaining closed~

DOCTOR:

~lets his fingers entwine with the Master’s, relaxing visibly, speaking softly after a moment~ I won’t do it… Aperture’s behind us, I should leave it there.

MASTER:

~looks up at the Doctor, confused for the moment as to what the Doctor means~

ALAN:

~cringes visibly, taking his hands away from 6188 to cover his ears~

6188:

~sees this and pulls him into a reassuring hug, hushing him gently~

DOCTOR:

~frowns in concern, thinking he could interrogate—no, he’ll search the disks. Search the disks, scan Alan’s brain, help him, don’t hurt anyone~

ALAN:

~seems to relax after a moment, wrapping his arms gently around 6188 in return and resting his head against her chest, seeming comfortable~

6188:

~she looks up at the Doctor and the Master with a faint questioning smile~

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly~ {I guess you’re the first mind he’s come in contact with that isn’t-… uninviting, conflicted, and constantly troubled.} ~glances at the Master~ {not that I find your mind uninviting…}

6188:

{I suppose.} ~she speaks softly and smiles warmly in response~

MASTER:

~gives a brief, forced smile of indifference, seeming to have been absent in thought before the Doctor spoke to him directly. Closes his eyes in exhaustion~

DOCTOR:

~turns to the Master~ and now _you_ need to get some sleep. Before you pass out.

MASTER:

Oh alright… ~blinks his eyes open to roll them slowly at the Doctor, gently squeezing the Doctor’s hand and mentally protesting that he’d doubts he’d pass out~

DOCTOR:

~gives a soft smile at the gesture, shaking his head~ Master, you can hardly keep your eyes open. Go to bed.

MASTER:

~walks around the Doctor, still holding his hand, and pauses with one foot outside the room to ask worriedly~ are you going to leave again? ~is gently holding the Doctor’s fingers, ready to let go any moment~

DOCTOR:

~steps up to the Master, pulling his hand away to hug him~ not without you. I promise. ~lets go far too soon for his liking so the Master can go sleep~

MASTER:

~dislikes the brevity of the hug, but forces himself to turn away from the Doctor to walk into their bedroom, gently closing the door behind him~

DOCTOR:

~turns to 6188 and Alan, walking back to them though he wants to follow the Master~ {so, what now…?}

6188:

~gently hushes the Doctor, looking down at Alan as she gently strokes his honey-blonde hair~

ALAN:

~he seems peacefully calm, more so than he’s ever been since before his brain was damaged~

DOCTOR:

~smiles softly, stepping away as if he fears his presence alone could disrupt poor Alan’s peace`

6188:

~starts softly humming a pretty tune, closing her eyes as she soothes the small, disturbed Timelord~

MASTER:

~is in bed now, but still awake, conversationally asking the Doctor why he chose to bring 6188 back out of all the other semi-Timelords~

DOCTOR:

~responds to the Master by stating she was literally the only one he talked to and she didn’t want to leave and he didn’t want to make her~

MASTER:

~acknowledges the response, going quiet but seeming unsatisfied, disturbed in some way and unable to let himself sleep~

DOCTOR:

~sighs slightly~ {I’ll be back in a moment.} ~walks out to go to his and the Master’s bedroom, closing their door behind him~

MASTER:

~looks over at the Doctor when he enters, curling up under the covers on his left side and hiding his face in his hands, fingers curling around the edges of his bandages. Just a twinge of his despair can be felt through the link, but the Doctor gets the sense that the Master’s holding it back~

DOCTOR:

~seems hardly fazed at all, though his tone is softly concerned~ is it the addiction? Or does this have to do with something else? ~starting towards the bed~

MASTER:

~speaks quietly~ a-a mixture, I guess… I don’t really want to talk about it. ~closes his eyes when he hears the Doctor approaching, subconsciously tensing up a little~

DOCTOR:

~stops when he sees the Master’s reaction, sounding almost desperate~ Master-… just… be careful. Please.

MASTER:

~relaxes after a moment and opens his eyes, looking over at the Doctor in distressed confusion~ what do you mean?

DOCTOR:

I mean… whatever’s wrong, don’t get so stubborn about it that it kills you. I can’t watch that again. ~his voice wavers at the end of his statement~

MASTER:

~goes thoughtfully quiet, sitting up and meeting the Doctor’s gaze somberly~ how’s Alan?

DOCTOR:

~smiles slightly as he answers~ better than he’s ever been since the ‘test’.

MASTER:

~glances down at his hands, setting them in his lap and giving a small genuine smile at the good news. Brings one hand up to his left cheekbone, gently feeling the tender bruise there from one of Alan’s angered outbursts, still too distressed to even think about sleep~

DOCTOR:

~mentally reaches out to the Master to try to comfort him~ hey… it’ll all work out… can’t worry too much about the future or look back too much at the past, otherwise you can’t get anything done in the present.

MASTER:

~seems all the more upset by the Doctor’s reluctance to approach him, though he tries to repress it, shaking his head and lying back down~ goodnight… ~speaks quietly, curling up under the covers~

DOCTOR:

~seems to get agitated before his expression softens apologetically~ goodnight… and sorry, you didn’t seem to want me to come closer… ~hesitantly goes to turn around~

MASTER:

I’d never not want you to come closer. ~murmurs softly, bringing his arms around the pillow beneath his head and angling it slightly towards himself~

DOCTOR:

~smiles~ in that case… ~strides over and gently wraps his arms around the Master—as best he can at the moment, speaking softly~ goodnight, Master… I love you.

MASTER:

~sits up and lets go of the pillow in favor of holding the Doctor instead, tightly wrapping his arms around the other Timelord’s neck and hiding his face in the Doctor’s shoulder~ won’t you stay… here, I mean. With me.

DOCTOR:

~hesitates briefly before sliding his shoes off and tossing his suit jacket and hat aside, climbing into the bed next to the Master, guessing 6188 has things handled for now~

MASTER:

~smiles, closing his eyes and smiling happily as he presses his back against the Doctor~ thank you. ~turns his head, nuzzling the Doctor’s cheek slightly~

DOCTOR:

~smiles back, bringing an arm around the Master and letting himself relax and let his guard down~ any time.

MASTER:

~now seems able to fully relax, bringing a hand to gently cover the Doctor’s as he slows his breathing and starts to drift off into a light sleep~

DOCTOR:

~tries to keep himself awake so he can be available if 6188 needs him, but he does start to drift off despite the fact~

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please join our discord server if you enjoyed! https://discord.gg/pSKuCSx


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